The Crossing Destinies
by Eba-chan150
Summary: Shadow is a priest living in a town, but something sinister is possessing citizens. As he is inspecting, he encounters a boy Sonic during his night patrol, but before he can accompany him to safety, he notices a demon. After making sure Sonic goes to his church, he heads toward the fiend. The priest has no idea what the night has in store for him...
1. Before the time (Prologue)

The darkness... the silent hunter, hiding everything and everyone, yet they shined so brightly at the same time. Just one sound and all was clear, all was visible, and all should be revealed. If anyone listened carefully, they might find the truth within. Avoiding it, approaching it… Were these the only choices one could make? After all, every person shaped their own destiny, right? However, even the deepest blackness couldn't hide anyone from their true fate.

Fate had from time to time a strange sense of humor. The more one wanted to avoid it, the more they were dragged down the path that was set for them. It didn't matter if it was a road nobody would set their foot on, but somebody had to walk on it.

Many years ago, a certain child was sent on a cursed path, and nothing could change it. The little one could only walk toward the future a particular person saw and directed. No matter what, it was the image that had to be pursued.

However, this person was now incapable of doing anything, being enclosed in a big crystal engulfed by dim light.  
The space around it was filled with black nothingness destined to be swallowed beyond the thin border of light the crystal emitted. The cold claws of the darkness had a tight grip around it, but they never fully surpassed the glow. Thin streams escaped through gasps, never getting too far.

It was an eerie, scary, and lonely place, yet the person's expression was the embodiment of serenity. There was no fear, sadness, or happiness either. It was like this person was dead from the inside, regardless of the radiance that was engulfing them. The body was wrapped in a simple dress, the hem was wavering in the substance filling the crystal.

The silence of that place was interrupted by an echo of steps coming from far away. The resounding strides vibrated the air, sending a chill down the spine of anyone who could be near to hear them. The steps were slow, but firm, shortening the distance to the crystal each heartbeat.

The border of the light was interrupted by a figure hidden by a cloak. It covered the figure's whole form, only a trio of small horns on its forehead was visible under the cloth. It seemed there was something more beneath the hood, but it was completely concealed. The figure slightly lifted its head, gazing at the elegant crystal coffin, and revealed its red scaly skin on the lower part of its face. The dusky light caressed the incomer. However, it was ice cold, providing nothing but misery and pain to anyone who set their eyes on it.

The figure spoke: "You have envisioned the future, but I won't let you have it your way." The cold, emotionless voice suggested those words were meant seriously, as the figure balled its fists and gnawed on its lip. "I'll make sure of that!" the figure barked at the end, making a sharp glance toward the other's face. At that moment, the hood for a split of a second revealed yellow eyes with slit pupils. The horned person turned away, disappearing into the darkness.

Moments of stillness had passed when a voice came from inside of the crystal, vibrating through the air: "Not even you can change that, my dear half. Not even you…" As if the light symbolized the strength of that voice, it slowly died together with it once more embracing the silence, letting the darkness cover it wholly, leaving nothing untouched.


	2. The first contact (1-6)

Hi, I have decided to post here a small example of my newest story. The rest will be on Wattpad, just search Witto150, and you will find my profile. Thank you.

* * *

The warbling birds were flying from one tree to another as if they had nothing to worry about. Maybe, maybe not, but it was something a black hedgehog priest loved to listen to every day. The lively songs were with him at all times, whether he was waking up, taking care of the flower beds, or when he was reading books in the small garden around the church during his free time in the evening.

It always made him smile and lifted his mood, but not this time. Well, he wasn't gloomy or depressed; he was just a bit worried. He had just finished lecturing a boy who often played pranks on others. It was never harmful; however, he was afraid it might get out of hand one day. The youngster looked a bit down as he was accompanying him outside the church.

The ebony hedgehog in brownish cowl rubbed the lad's blue quills. "I'm not angry at you, but sometimes you make me worried."

"I'm sorry, Father Shadow." The other hung his head low, staring at his red sneakers and bruised knee since he was wearing brown shorts.

The priest knelt down, slightly adjusting his dirty, white T-shirt. "Just promise me you won't do it again."

The child nodded. "I promise, I won't let them see me next time," he giggled, amused by the adult's surprise. He quickly slipped away, dashing toward the small front gate that was always open.

"Bye, bye, Father Shadow!" He waved at the standing priest with his quills swaying with each stride.

The priest smiled and waved back. "Be careful on your way home…" His quills had a different shape, with the outer ones pointing to the sky. However, his back quills, unlike other hedgehogs, were completely missing. "… and don't go stealing apples again, okay, Sonic?" he reminded him as the child was getting further

"Fine," the blue hedgehog sighed. He wasn't a bad kid; he just loved playing pranks. He once more waved goodbye and ran, heading back.

The priest looked at the sky as it was slowly darkening. The autumn night was about to come, but the breeze was still a bit warm, taking leaves on an unseen journey. Shadow's fur bristled, it wasn't just leaves dancing in the air. He returned inside, checking all the windows and back door, only then he left the building.

It was part of his daily routine. To anyone, it might seem like late evening walk, but apart of it, the priest had a vastly different reason for it. The air was full of anxiety; even if others seemed to not be affected, he knew the truth. As he walked down the road, a gentle breeze brought him a smell of trouble. He followed it, finding his goal in the form of a small family house. Inside was a couple having a fight.

"Can't you just shut up?!" yelled a rabbit woman at her husband, tightening her fist.

"Me? You are the one, who needs to shut up!" replied her husband with the same level of anger.

It looked like a quarrel, but minor details were suggesting there was more to it. One was that these two love each other dearly and have never had a serious fight. He should know, they were regulars in his church, often chatting with him, and the rabbit woman from time to time brought him her famous pear pie. The other was a sinister gleam in their eyes that wasn't natural.

The ebony priest was next to the window listening to them as the fight was getting more intense. Around his neck was a silver cross reflecting a faint light coming from a street lamp. He gently grasped it, feeling the cooling metal through his white gloves, and silently recited holy words. After a few moments, the couple stopped fighting, their eyes changed, and a light purple smoke left their bodies, completely dissipating into the air. They looked confused, like suddenly waking up from a dream that had felt all too real.

"I…" The woman was terrified, covering her mouth. Realizing what she had been shouting; tears slowly appeared in her eyes.

"No, it's my fault. I'm sorry!" They hugged, crying on each other's shoulder.

A slight smile appeared on ebony hedgehog's face before he disappeared into the night. ' _That's the seventh case in the last four days.'_ He had already encountered numerous cases like this one, but never in such large number. Instead of declining, as in the past, they seemed to be escalating. This case was still pretty easy. Just the other day he barely stopped a possessed person from committing a murder.

Since that event, he knew someone - something - big was near, causing trouble. ' _I will find the unholy creature responsible for this, and I shall eliminate it without a fail. I swear, in the name of the Lord.'_ Such was the second face of Father Shadow. During the day, he was a loving and caring person, but at night he turned into a deadly hunter of evildoers. He turned the corner, continuing his patrol, not knowing the culprit behind the accidents was much closer than he would expect.

* * *

There was a forest around the town. It wasn't deep, or scary, but there was a nicely shaped cave hidden in the deepest part, providing a shelter for a scary creature.

"Another one failed, huh? I thought, planting some negative energy in mortals would make harvesting easier." The voice was soaked with a sinister accent. The creature wasn't part of this world. Someone might consider it to be a hedgehog because of the three longer quills on the head, but that was the only similarity. The eyes were yellow with black sclera, and from the brow ridge grew a pair of simply curved horns. It had wings and sharp claws, hoof-like feet with its body covered by black scaly skin with many red markings. He was a demon named Eclipse.

Around him were hovering dark purple balls of dust or something like that. "Whoever it was, it's making a mess in my handy work," he mumbled. "I work on a tight schedule here, you know." He looked at hourglass that was almost filled. "Well, guess it means I'll have to step in." A wide grin revealed many sharp teeth, perfect for ripping meat off bones.

The flying dust balls made many different sounds getting even closer. These things were alive!

"Ah, no worries, my darlings." He petted them with a gentle smile. "I'll let you eat more, so you can grow big and strong, then you will be able to hunt these pathetic creatures with me." His smile looked gentle, but his words would give anyone goosebumps. The four dust balls made one sound after another; it almost seemed they were begging him for something.

His face was constantly changing, showing different forms of pondering until he simply scratched his cheek. "Fine, I'll let you accompany me…"

The dust balls were circling him, expressing their utter happiness.

"… but you will only deliver the souls here! No hunting! That's my job," he reminded them since they were still too weak to protect themselves. They calmed down, and apparently nodded as he gestured for them to follow him towards the town. The demon had no idea there was someone on his trail, otherwise he would never let them accompany him.

* * *

When the priest was finished with his patrolling self-duty; it was about a midnight. During the walk, he had beaten up some drunken punks. It sure felt refreshing to stretch his fists once in a while. He always asked the Lord for forgiveness as he only taught them a small lesson.

' _It seems everything is alright.'_ He slowly headed to the church, his home for years, when he heard a noise. ' _What was that?'_ He climbed the nearest building like nothing and looked around, listening to the night, picking out that sound once more. ' _That way!'_ He ran along the roofs, jumping over the wide gaps, and a street further he found the originator of the noise.

"Sonic?" he whispered loudly. It sure was the small hedgehog child from the evening. ' _What is he doing here? I thought he went home!'_ He knelt, slightly looking over the eaves.

"Dang!" Sonic grumbled, getting slowly up from the trash. "I still can't make it!" He threw the garbage down. "Once more!" He ran several tens of meters back since this street was one of the longest and narrowest in the whole town. Shadow didn't stop following him, observing from above. "Let's roll!" The youngster started to run, and with each step, he was faster and faster. The priest was honestly speechless. He heard this boy liked running, but this was amazing! He was a lot faster than any adult, however, the ebony priest was still able to follow this boy with his eyes.

Once was Sonic near the place where Shadow found him, he tried to make a sharp turn but instead ended up in the trash cans once more _. 'I see. He is trying to take a turn at his max speed, but he can't shift his weight and the momentum is throwing him off.'_ The boy was slowly getting up, cleaning himself.

"Dang it!" he cursed a bit louder than before. "At this rate…" He clenched the fists, "… I won't be able to…" He wiped a tear forming in his eye, unaware he had been discovered.

Shadow climbed down, silently approaching him from behind. "Sonic?" he acted surprised. The boy turned around with a shock openly visible on his face.

' _Oh crap,'_ ran through his young mind.


	3. The first contact (2-6)

Hi, I just want to say - ignore the statement in the first chapter ^_^; I have decided to upload this story here too. I still recommend you to visit Wattpad for an up-to-date story, as only there I'll be uploading edited chapters. Maybe here too, but after a long time. I would be really happy if you would visit me on Wattpad (Witto150) and say hi or read the story there.

* * *

"Father Shadow?" Sonic was open-mouthed. "Why are you here?" He slightly shivered.

"That's my question, boy. What are you doing at this late hour?" He came a bit closer but made sure to keep his distance to not frightened him more. This part of the town wasn't exactly friendly, but thankfully, not many people were living here. The youngster pouted, unwilling to answer. Shadow sighed. "Let's go. I'll walk you home."

"No! That place isn't my home!" the boy shouted angrily.

The adult hedgehog looked a bit sad. From what he was told, Sonic's parents one day perished in some bizarre incident. Someone even claimed they were murdered or used as living sacrifices, although no one was sure. But from that day, Sonic, who was just three, had to move to an orphanage. Shadow came here a few months after that, to everyone's surprise, he was able to calm down this wild boy who was beating other kids and even befriended him.

"Then, what about coming to my place?" he offered him with a small smile. The blue lad was a bit suspicious. At this moment he expected to be scolded. "I won't tell anyone about your late adventure. If you don't feel alright there, you are free to visit me anytime and spend a night if you wish so. Just promise me, you won't go here or do anything dangerous. If you want to run, I think I know the right place for you," he talked in a casual tone.

"Really? Can I just go like that? You're not mad at me?"

"Well, saying, I'm not mad is stretching it. I'm angry at you, but I can understand your frustration."

The blue hedgehog's face was confused, but then he dashed toward Father Shadow and hugged him. "Thank you."

"It's alright; let's clean this place before we go." He patted his head. The process took them a while, but Sonic was smiling, and humming a simple melody. While returning back, the boy held priest's hand. They walked for several minutes when the blue hedgehog asked: "Father Shadow, why don't you have quills on your back?"

The ebony hedgehog jerked with his ears twitching, and he turned to face the other side of the town with knitted eyebrows. The boy looked worried. The aunt in children's home told him to not ask this question. It would be rude, and for hedgehogs, quills were their greatest pride, but he just couldn't help to wonder about it.

"Father…?" he asked quietly, feeling guilty.

"Uh, what?" Just now he reacted, looking down. "Sorry, Sonic, but can you walk to the church on your own from here?" He knelt, so their eyes were level. The azure boy nodded. "Good." He gestured his appreciation. "It seems I have forgotten very important object. I'll fetch it and head back as soon as possible. So be a good boy and wait there for me." He stroked his blue quills. "Would you like a tea? Pick any you like and I think there is a pack of cookies in a pantry."

"Okay."

"Don't worry, I'll be right back." Shadow stood up, waited till the boy headed to the church, disappearing behind a corner, only then he went his own way. _'This feeling! It can't be! Is it coming from the source of those incidents?'_ He sped up, walking faster and faster until he was running, entering deeper into abandoned downtown.

Only hooligans and criminals were residing here, although merely a small number of them. It was said this place was cursed that in the past all the citizens were eaten by a demon during one night. Since then, this part was called Red district because the inner walls were splattered with blood. But that was supposed to happen a few hundred years ago; now it was just a legend and a ghost town.

Shadow could feel, he was getting closer, so his steps became quieter and slower. The best chance of victory laid in a surprise attack after all. _'It's here!'_ he stopped just before the corner. The smell of fresh blood hit his nose. He listened but heard nothing. The ebony priest reached inside of his cowl, feeling the cold surface of his weapon. He slowly stepped into the narrow street to find a corpse. It was gutted, its expression full of terror. He let his weapon be and came closer to inspect it.

But what would make others vomit had no effect on him. He didn't bat an eye, observing the place, looking for hints. They were easy to find, as a trail of blood was way too obvious to be overlooked. Once he quickly prayed for the dead man's soul, he jumped over the body and continued in the pursuit.

* * *

After a few minutes, he heard a woman's scream. He sped up. The yelp was cut short, replaced with quiet laughing, together with munching and sounds of broken bones. "Pff, this meat tastes bleh," commented Eclipse the quality. He was chewing it with a bored look. "I should have picked something better."

He pondered about it: "Yeah, children would be good. They have tender meat and their souls are the purest." He licked the blood on his cheek, showing long purple forked tongue.

From the fresh corpse flew sluggishly a semi-transparent ball with a tail. "Ah, there it is." It had a gray color. "Hardly an average quality, pff." He caught it with a clawed hand. "Here." He gave it to the purple dust balls that were hovering next to him. "Deliver it home, I'll be hunting for a bit longer."

The dust balls nodded and wrapped themselves around the soul.

"Don't forget to go to sleep; no souls for you four If I catch you staying up too late, 'kay?" He made playful smile.

The dust balls gave him a happy whistle and flew away, heading to the cave which was now their home. The demon feasted for a while. Suddenly, he felt a chill ran down his spine. He hurriedly gulped the meat inside of his mouth and leaped toward the wall. A silent bullet missed him by a few millimeters, yet he could feel the burning heat from it.

Once he latched on the wall, he looked down hissing, showing his forked tongue. The attacker was none other than Shadow. His weapon of choice was a silver handgun combining weaponry and holy words, shooting silent bullets that were deadly only to demonic creatures. "You unclean beast!"

"Hey, I bathed yesterday, you know!" replied the morose demon.

The ebony hedgehog was taken aback momentarily. He had never encountered talking demon before; they all seemed to be more on an animalistic level. The creature used his hesitation for an attack. It jumped down, slashing the priest with claws. But the black hedgehog was experienced in a combat, and easily avoided it, and kicked back, hitting the demon in a stomach, sending it flying.

The demon's body crashed into the wall. He barked as he slid down: "You will pay for this!"

"What a shame! I must have forgotten my money bag in the other fur," he taunted him back. The demon growled in a response, lowering his body a bit. The priest pressed the trigger once more, but the creature avoided the bullet, running down the street. "No, you won't!" shouted the ebony hedgehog, pursuing the vile creature further, entering even older, more deserted part of the town.


	4. The first contact (3-6)

The demon was agile and quite smart, avoiding obstacles like nothing until it entered an old tall building. During the pursuit, Shadow tried to shoot it, but the bullets hit only the bricks, walls, and other stuff along the way. _'_ _Dang, that thing is nimble,'_ he realized as he ran upstairs.

Soon they reached the top floor. The demon dashed there, hiding behind half torn wall of some room. He expected for the priest to storm here, then he would take him down by surprise attack, getting a decent meal, but nothing happened. It was quiet down there that made the demon nervous. _'Did he use another way up here?'_ He looked quickly around, and that one move saved his life. The bullet aimed at his head barely missed him. He shrieked, bursting through the remains of the wall. The priest climbed the outer wall, getting behind the demon, but his surprise attack failed.

Nevertheless, the next two shots burrowed into demon's flesh, but neither was a fatal wound. It only caused a pain and made moving harder. Shadow was behind him, cornering him in one room. The priest carefully aimed. "Begone, evil creature!"

The moment the trigger was about to be pressed, the demon turned around, smashing the floor. The debris was thrown into the air and the bullet didn't leave the barrel. "Uach!" the ebony hedgehog shouted as he lost every footing.

It wasn't just this storey, but all the way down was smashed. That's how powerful the blow was, and that's how the building was in a desolate state. Shadow fell down, crashing into the ground, sharp pant escaped him. His vision was soon blocked by falling debris, rocks, wooden beams, and bricks piercing his body burying him alive.

The demon escaped to the next building, watching over his shoulder as the structure was brought down. He took a breathed, before climbing down, and standing in front of the ruin once most of the dust settled down. His heart was loudly beating, almost breaking his ribs from inside. In his life, he had noticed a few priests, but either he was able to run away or avoid them completely. But this guy was something extra if it wasn't for the poor state of the structure, he wouldn't be able to escape so easily if at all. _'He… is dead, right?'_ He sniffed. _'The fall must have killed him…'_ He was nervous, his wounds hurt, but he still smiled.

He had won and what more, he really seemed to be tasty prey. Should he bring it home for his master to feast on? Or leave it to himself and his darlings? Or dividing it and giving his master the heart? He had heard the heart was the most delicious organ. There was a rumor of unseen power residing there. If a demon should consume it, its power would increase by leaps and bounds.

Before he could approach the buried body, he heard somebody behind him. He quickly turned around, expecting another hunter, but he found just a small blue hedgehog, shaking in sneakers. The devil couldn't believe his eyes; his top prey was standing there! What a pleasant surprise. This night was just getting better and better. His mouth was watering; a forked tongue licked the escaping saliva, almost feeling the delicious flavor of the young meat.

"Aaahhh!" the boy shrieked and started to run away.

The demon snickered to himself. The hunt started, but because of the wounds, his mobility was slightly limited for the time being; however, it was still enough to catch one runt.

* * *

Five minutes later, Eclipse wasn't so sure anymore. _'How can it run for so long?'_ The gap between them gradually increased. _'Are we exiting the town?'_ The demon noticed the number of buildings was decreasing. _'Oh well, it matters not.'_

Sonic was terrified. He could only think about how to run away, but he was at the same time afraid to speed up. If he would go any faster, he would lose the ability to turn around corners. _'Why didn't I listen to Father? Why?'_ he shouted in his head. From the moment Shadow asked him to go ahead, he had a bad feeling so he secretly followed him.

He had lost him for a few times, and finding of a fresh corpse left him speechless for a couple of minutes until he was awoken by a loud noise. He ran there, afraid Father Shadow might be in a danger, but it was now him who was in need of help. _'T-This path!'_ He made a sharp turn. _'It leads to the abandoned factory!'_ The boy knew that place quite well he used it as a hideout and a practice course for three years now. His confidence rose up. _'I can lose him there!'_

"I have enough of this tag!" the demon barked, flapping his wings, easily overcoming Sonic from the air. The child abruptly stopped in the middle of a puddle, splashing some water around. The demon was standing in front of him, spreading his wings to make himself seem bigger and menacing. "It's time for a midnight snack!" he shouted and opened his mouth, ready to sink fangs into fresh meat.


	5. The first contact (4-6)

Sonic's head went blank but his legs reacted, and that saved his life. Despite the frantic movements, he stayed in one place, splashing the demon with the water. "Gah, bleh!" he coughed, spitting the liquid around and cleaning it from his eyes. Once he was able to see, his prey was already gone. "That brat!" he angrily shouted, climbing the building next to him. "Where did he run?"

He quickly noticed, the boy heading into a big metal complex, he remembered was called a factory. "Fine, if you wanna play, I shall toy with you," he smiled sinisterly. He glided to the entrance, going inside. He heard the kid's steps echoing from all sides. The space around him was large. There were metal tubes, pipes, some big machines, cables, ladders, chains, hooks, and tons of other stuff around.

A few chains were swinging a bit. _'There he is,'_ he smirked. The demon climbed up iron stairs. There he picked the boy's smell. _'This will be so easy.'_ He continued on all four. He actually loved to move that way; it gave him greater pleasure during a hunt. Soon he noticed his prey was on a platform a few meters above him. He got an idea. "Hey, kid!" he called him gently. "Did I scare you?"

The blue youngster stopped moving.

"I'm really sorry. You see, I'm new in this town and as I was walking by that building suddenly collapsed. It scared me and when you saw me… well, I thought you will think it was my fault. I was afraid I won't get any friends 'cause of it."

"Friends?" asked the azure hedgehog, coming slightly closer to the edge.

"Yes, friends! Let's be friends! As an apology, I'll give you my candy!"

"Really?" Sonic's head appeared.

"Yes!" he replied, having a big smile on his face.

"But… I'm afraid to climb down the ladder. Will you catch me if I jump down?"

The demon's eyes shined. "But of course!" He opened his arms. "You are my first friend after all!"

"Okay, I'll just get ready." He disappeared.

' _Like for real? That runt is so dumb! It's jumping literally in my mouth!'_ From above he heard steps then some metallic sound. "What are you-!" His eyes widen as a big barrel rolled at him from above, burying him. "Gah!" That kid completely caught him off guard. He roared, lifted the barrel and tossed it away, causing deafening clamor, almost drowning his own voice. "You brat!" No bone was broken, but his wings were hurting like hell. "Enough! I'll rip you apart!"

He jumped on the platform, immediately spotting the running figure, and gave a chase. This wasn't just about his wings, his ego was hurt a lot. He considered all mortals to be pathetic and weak, but this one was way too long a pain in the neck. He made a lot of noise as he was crashing into things, barrels and other objects. It wasn't because he was clumsy; he wanted to make him terrified, raising his panic level to the max. He was the hunter here!

In other words – he was showing off, pleasing his sadistic nature. He laughed as he was again in a good mood, but he sure wasn't forgetting the earlier humiliation. In his head he imagined, how he was catching the kid, scratching its skin a bit by bit, licking the hot blood, and letting him escape for a while before repeating his favorite pass-time activity – the slow torture.

Meanwhile, Sonic's head was full of chaotic thoughts, despite it, he was more or less calm. His speed and the knowledge of the terrain gave him a hope and confidence. The demon, after all, hadn't caught up to him in this place. He remembered a chain net on the platform in front of him. The boy slightly sped up, overcoming the stairs in a second; he grabbed the net, turned around, and with the help of momentum mixed with adrenaline, he tossed it at the demon.

Once more he caught him off guard. The demon toppled back, rolling down the stairs, cursing. The blue hedgehog child didn't watch him, as he continued running. He was afraid that once he stops, he won't be able to run anymore. The sounds of tearing metal were heard. The demon was free in no time. It didn't slow him down much; it just made him angrier.

"I'll so enjoy ripping you apart!" shrieked the demon, jumping on the next platform. Sonic was ten or so meters in front of him. One bigger leap was enough to catch up, yet he didn't do so. He noticed the kid was running toward the torn down bridge. The ground was more than forty meters below. There were only two choices; to stop or to fall down. Either way, he would get the kid. He licked his lips. The fun part was so near.

Three, two steps, and the boy… "What?" The demon couldn't believe his own eyes. The kid didn't stop either started to fall to his death, but he jumped. For the first time, the fiend noticed, the smell of fear was weakening around his prey. _'How's that possible?'_ He rushed forward, not losing him from his sight. The seconds the youngster spent in the air felt like an eternity, but his tiny hands were reaching slowly the next step – the hanging chain.

His fingers not even touched it. The wave of panic flooded his small body, as he was falling. His mind went blank. The time stopped. No sound reached his ears. He could only feel a strange sensation, growing inside. It was filling him from the tip of fingers to the very core of bones. It vibrated with his whole body.

Eclipse's claws were just a few inches from him, ready to grab him. He, after all, disliked minced meat. Sonic's body curled up and started to spin, escaping demon's preying fingers at the last moment.

"What?" shouted the demon, gliding down.

The kid's spinning body crashed into the platform meters below, making a big hole, continuing down, bouncing around sturdy things, steadily descending. The demon was honestly surprised. He landed, expecting to see a dead body. Who would survive such harsh landing anyway? The answer? THAT kid. It was lying on metal trash, coughing, but alive. The demon was astonished. His body was trembling with an excitement.

He grabbed the kid's t-shirt, lifting the flabby body. The unusual maneuver left Sonic with tons of bruises, fatigue and slightly bleeding head. The demon laughed: "Amazing! Amazing! You never cease to surprise me, blue hedgehog! You have made me change my mind!"

The boy's weak hands grabbed the demon's one, struggling vainly to become free.

"I won't kill you! Isn't it great?" His smile was wide, showing razor teeth. "I'll keep you as my pet! I'll feed you and take care of you," that smile turned into an evil grin, "then I'll hunt you down! And," he emphasized on the conjunction, "if you want to live I suggest you impress me. Make me surprised! Make me excited! I'll make you run for my sake!"

The young child's tears were falling down. The demon could finally smell the familiar and beloved mix of panic, terror, fear, and hopelessness. He couldn't contain his excitement and licked the fresh blood. Sonic screamed in terror.


	6. The first contact (5-6)

The boy's desperate voice was cut short by the demon's own shriek. Eclipse tossed the kid away, falling on all fours. From his chest was running blood. "W-Who could…?" He looked over left shoulder, seeing a black silhouette. "Y-You?" he gasped.

"Yes, it's me." It was Shadow. His clothes were torn, his body was bleeding from numerous spots and was covered by bruises. His hand was shaking; he must have gotten here at the last second, having no time for a proper aim.

"But how?" asked the demon astonished.

"You will need a bit more than burying me alive to get rid of me." The ebony hedgehog tried not to let his fatigue be discovered, but he was still wheezing.

"Apparently," growled the black and red demon.

Shadow glimpsed at Sonic, who was now half-way sitting, gasping heavily and trembling. The demon smashed his tail into the ground, raising a cloud of dust. The priest fired a few shots, but missed, hearing the bullets to hit the metal around. He quickly knelt in front of the boy, shaking with him, glancing way demon went in a case he tried a sneak attack. "Sonic, do you hear me? Can you walk?"

The child nodded.

"Good, then leave immediately! Go to my church! I'll just take care of this monster! So, go!" he shouted at him, before giving the demon chase. He could hear him from above.

' _Damn! Damn!'_ cursed the evil creature. _'Everything was going so smoothly!'_ He obtained a huge victory, he got a play-thing, so why did it all fall apart? The wound in his chest was hurting like hell. It was close to his heart, too close! Piercing it would kill him on the spot. While climbing stairs, he tripped, hitting his wound against the edge of the stairs. He gave painful moan. He had to catch his breath, but not for long; the priest was getting closer. He could hear him coming up.

Another bullet scratched his face, scaring him. He looked down, seeing the priest had found an opening in the gritted platforms. Eclipse didn't wait, got up and dashed away, before ending seriously wounded. This time it was his turn to be hunted.

He ran and ran, climbing higher in an attempt to find a way out. He couldn't die here! Not now! There were still so many things he had to do! He wanted to do! The images of his pet dust balls he had created from the scratch flashed inside of his mind. What would happen to them? Who would feed them?

He tripped, stopping at the edge of a lonely bridge, coming higher than Sonic before. Above him was an open space, he could fly away, only he would become an easy target, and his wings still hurt. He looked behind, seeing how Shadow stopped on the other side. The only way out was to kill him. With his tail, he tossed metal plate that was laying nearby. The priest moved to the side, avoiding it. But at that moment, for a sec, he had lost a sight of his target.

The demon closed the gap with one jump, aiming with his claws at priest's legs. Shadow jumped-rolled over the creature to safety, he aimed to shoot in the midair once he was above; however, the creature's tail was faster, knocking the gun from his hand, sending it to the ground. The black hedgehog hissed and landed on the edge. He quickly got on his knees, punching the demon in the jaw, repelling his immediate attack. The black hedgehog quickly stood up, but the footing appeared to be unstable as the platform leaned down screeching.

He caught the metal bar in front of him to gain balance. The priest leaned forward, trying to get himself to the safety. At the same moment in a desperate attempt, the demon slashed Shadow's chest, ripping the clothes and the cross around the neck to pieces. The metal pipe gave in and the hedgehog was falling down again. The fate had from time to time an irony moments. The priest landed straight on thin iron pole, piercing his chest. The blood gushed out and his yell echoed through the whole building.

The platform finally gave in as well, almost taking down the demon too, but he was lucky as he jumped on a more stable part. His heart was beating wildly, almost jumping out. The demon felt cold sweat dripping from his body. This was too close for his taste.

"Is he dead… for good?" He looked at the motionless body. At this moment, he expected for him to just shake it off and get up. "Heh… no mortal… can live with a hole in a chest… right?" He felt like laughing, but he was afraid to do so. He had enough. He wanted nothing more than to escape, to return home, and catch tons, and tons of Z's.

He slowly climbed down. His body hurt even more. The adrenaline slowly left his body, making him tired and sluggish. Once he reached the ground level, he felt relieved and was again surprised. His prey was still here, leaning against a column. His face brightened up a bit. At least he could improve his mood. "What good naughty boy you are," he said, emerging from shadows.

As soon as he was seen, Sonic tried to run away, but he only tripped over his own legs. "Will you ever stop running?" growled Eclipse. What made him excited, was now tiring him. He grabbed the kid, lifting it in the air.

It kicked around. "Let me go!" the child shouted weakly.

"Dream on," replied annoyed demon, "and speaking of dreams, I really need to catch some Z's. I'm dead tired." He started to walk, tucking the kicking prey in his armpit. Above their heads, to no one's knowledge, something was happening.


	7. The first contact (6-6)

Shadow wasn't dead. His heart was still beating. He felt the sensation of the pain slowly disappearing. His fingers twitched, and from deep within him something resurfaced. A deep and deafening roar escaped him.

"What's that now?" Eclipse had enough of these unpleasant surprises. The air was shaking, and that bellow penetrated every bone in his body. Numerous metal pieces, barrels, pipes, and other things were falling down. The dust filled the space, creating the ominous veil. One pipe was flung towards the small demon, ending stabbed in the ground; it was covered in blood. The fiend backed down a bit, not noticing his grip on the kid weakened, setting it free.

Sonic quickly crawled away, hiding behind a metal column. Something was hidden behind the dust, as a silhouette was becoming clearer.

"Who are you…?" whispered the dumbstruck night creature.

That, someone, was scarring him with every step that was made, crushing the floor underneath. Finally, the figure left the dust cloud, revealing a shocking view.

"The priest…?" he uttered under his breath unable to do anything more than to stare.

It was Shadow, but his form drastically changed. He got taller, or it was maybe because all outer quills transformed into intimidating horns, and even his ears looked sharper. The third eye on his forehead was emitting dim purple light, giving him a death stare.

He lost almost all clothing, with an exception of half of the pants that hardly covered crimson stripes he gained. They were mainly on the top and tips of his quills, around red eyes with yellow sclera, running from the third eye down the torso, making it seem the skin was cracked. A thought about something pulsating beneath the scaly fur crossed the small demon's mind, but he quickly forgot it as his eyes fell on hedgehog's now clawed hands, and massive talons on toes, digging into the metal floor like it was a butter.

From his back grew two majestic bat wings, giving him more bloodcurdling look accompanied by a long tail. The now demonic priest roared once more, revealing sharp teeth and dark purple forked tongue.

Eclipse's mind screamed at him to run. He turned around, falling on all fours, escaping like a wild animal. He barely made two strides when demonic Shadow grabbed his wing and right shoulder, lifting him up. The smaller demon screeched, trying to break free. The wing bone was broken first before it was torn down. Eclipse was screaming, as his body had frozen in twisted posture. The ebony demon's face was full of pleasure as he slammed the small demon to the ground. The intense pain robbed the small demon of any will to fight back.

Additional bones were cracked in the throbbing body. Eclipse couldn't move a muscle. The small body was once more lifted in the air and with a wide swung it was thrown far away, maybe even beyond the town border. Suddenly, the place became quiet, too quiet.

Shadow's eyes fell on Sonic, who silently squealed. "F… F… Father… Shadow…" he whispered.

The priest turned toward him ready to attack, but in the middle of his movement, he screamed with a pain as four light balls circled him. They were the broken pieces of the cross. The demonic priest growled, slashing them with his claws, but they still came closer, uniting the original cross around his neck. He roared, struggling to tear it off. A smoke slowly evaporated from his body and his voice gradually died down. The thud sound echoed around.

The smoke quickly dissipated, revealing gasping Shadow on all four. He coughed saliva and slightly vomited, trembling like crazy. His head was full of vague images of the recent events, swirling, turning him crazy.

"F… Father…" That silent voice was the only light in the darkness.

"S-Sonic?" He uncertainly lifted his head, his sight falling on the little boy. "Are… you alright?" The boy nodded. "I'm sorry… I'll take you home…" He slowly stood up, putting everything in each step. The short distance between them felt like an eternity. When he bent down and opened his arms to pick him up, the boy curled up. Shadow was filled with a sensation of great fear. His mouth was watering; he felt the urge to sink his fangs into that small body to tear it apart. He instead gnawed on his lip till it bled, surpassing the unholy desire inside, and taking the shivering body into his arms, heading back to the church.

* * *

It took a long time, but finally, he had reached his home. Opening the door was never so slow and tiring, it was a small miracle the key stayed in his trouser pocket the whole time. The young boy didn't stop shivering, but he noticed his breathing at least calmed down a bit. He crossed the central part, being afraid to look at the big cross above the altar, feeling dirty.

He entered the smaller door behind it, heading to his humble living quarter, but he had to overcome two dozens of stairs, they were never so long. Finally, he had reached his room, putting the boy in his bed. He was still trembling, but it seemed he had fallen asleep.

The tired priest slightly stepped back, moving wobbly. His head was spinning. He had to lean against the door frame to not lose footing. Over the shoulder, he checked on Sonic. At the same time, he glanced something on his back. He looked over his shoulder and where his back quills were supposed to be, grew small wings.

Suppressing vomiting, he walked outside. It wasn't a lie! It was real! He was a monster! With this thought his body collapsed on the floor, losing consciousness along the way.


	8. The morning after the nightmare (1-5)

The next few days felt like a distant dream. Shadow stashed his newly grown wings under a bandage. They had a size of bat wings, so hiding them was easy, but tugging them under it a lot harder. The bandage was tightened so much, it almost broke his ribs and made breathing difficult. At some time he noticed Sonic left his room, but haven't returned to orphan's asylum. The aunt from the orphanage had asked him about it, but he had no idea where the boy went. Such was the truth. He felt a bit relieved the boy hadn't told anyone about his disgusting transformation, for now.

For the time being, he closed the church, claiming he was rather ill. When people saw his tired face and dark circles under eyes, they had no reason to doubt about it. They only wished him a quick recovery. That gave him some time to think. He was certain he couldn't stay here. He had to leave! But where? Where could he go?

A place without people would be nice. Far away from anyone. With his thoughts finally calmed down, he had begun the preparations which took him a few days, but he made sure not leave anything unfinished.

* * *

When the morning of his departure arrived, quite a crowd of people gathered in front of his church, wishing him a safe journey.

"Are you truly leaving?" a rabbit woman asked, giving him a sad look.

"I'm afraid so," the priest answered, glancing the clouds above the town. For the last days, it was cloudy, and frequent rain showers were forcing people to hide. Even now it looked like it could rain as the heavy dark clouds hung above them. "I have received a letter my father is on the deathbed. I have to get to his side as soon as possible." That was a lie. "I have already asked The Order to sent here a new priest." He slightly smiled; this was true. He didn't want to leave his home empty, and many people visited this place as the other church was almost on the other side of the town.

More people came to say goodbye, praying for his father to get better. Shadow patiently listened to everyone, before he could finally head toward the main train station, that was a short distance away.

* * *

It was full of people getting in and out of the trains. He looked around while waiting in a line for a ticket. Sonic was nowhere to be seen. This morning he had heard he finally returned to the orphanage. A huge burden fell from his heart, at the same moment, he felt fear the child might talk about his demonic transformation, but it still didn't happen. He was sure Sonic was scared and was hiding somewhere else for these last days.

He shook his head. This wasn't the time to think about it. He had to move forward before someone would go after him. Without paying a much of attention, he paid for his ticket and headed to the corresponding platform.

But so what if he would leave? If someone would find out his secret, would he be killed? Or would he be heard out? The wings burned him. He tightly pressed the handle of his luggage. _'_ _I can't deny the truth, but I had no idea about it! I'm innocent… a victim as well! But why am I like this? From what time? From my birth or…?'_ He shook his head even more. The answers eluded him. _'_ _First… First, I have to get out of this town then… I'll think about it.'_

The steam train approached the platform, screeching while breaking. People got out and new ones got in; Shadow was among them. He found an empty cabin as he had no intention to talk with anyone. He put his luggage on the rack under the ceiling, sitting down tiredly. After a while, the train started to move. He looked from the window. This town was his home for many years. He couldn't stop the feeling of loneliness creeping inside of his heart. _'_ _Farewell…'_

"Let me go!" shouted a familiar voice, bringing him out of his melancholy.

The ebony hedgehog bristled, jumping to his feet. He slid the door of his cabin, looking outside, and turning toward a conductor who was holding a blue hedgehog child by the back quills, lifting him into the air.

"Sonic!" gasped Shadow loudly.

"F-Father Shadow!" The boy was struggling, trying to free himself from the man's grasp, but his grip on his back quills was firm.

"Is that child with you?" asked the bear conductor.

"Ah… yea… yes, he is," he mumbled stunned.

"He looked like he was sneaking around."

"Ah, we must have got… separated before getting on the train… yes." The ebony hedgehog was sweating. "I was so absorbed in my thoughts, I stopped checking on him."

The conductor let Sonic go who immediately hid behind the ebony priest.

"Your ticket, please," said the conductor.

"A ticket?" The priest was totally off, "Ah, the ticket, I'm sorry," he searched his pockets, giving it to him.

It was stamped and returned. "And for the child?" The bear's hand stayed open.

Shadow again searched his pockets. "Don't tell me," he mumbled. "This is the worst day ever; I must have lost it somewhere. May I buy a new one?"

The conductor sighed. He went to Shadow's church from time to time so they knew each other. Not just that, quite often he spent the night in Shadow's church, as his house was on the other side of town when he was going home around the midnight due to delays on the rail. The priest learned of his schedule, and when it was apparent the bear would get home the next day, he always waited for the conductor with a warm soup, and bed.

So for him, he overlooked the fine and accepted only the payment for the new ticket. The black hedgehog was very thankful to him. After this anabasis, he took Sonic to his cabin. There they sat in front of each other in a complete silence. The priest rested his elbows on knees, assuming a thinking position.


	9. The morning after the nightmare (2-5)

Shadow would never think the small demon was still alive. He was wounded, weakened, but still breathing, lying in the cave on a small hill of grass, and moss, protected from the coldness.

Eclipse lifted the head. It was already days since he miraculously escaped certain death. Even now he shivered in fear. His greatest luck was landing in a familiar part of the forest, and thus finding his way to the cave faster. There he crawled inside, passing out. His pets went into a frenzy, upon seeing him. Once they calmed down, they tended his wounds the best way they could. They gathered small bits of negative energy, feeding him for nights.

Thanks to their effort, Eclipse's healing process was sped up. The torn wing grew back, but it would still take time before he would fly at full speed. He forced himself to stand on all fours, catching his breath.

"I'm okay now," he gently said to his pets, who worriedly grouped around him. "I just need to stretch myself a bit." With a help of the rough wall, he stood up. He felt incredibly weak. After long minutes of practicing, he gained confidence in his walking. Since his head was clearer, he got really scared. He missed the deadline for negative energy by a day. He had to gather some, or he would be in big trouble.

It had one major problem; all the energy he gathered was used for his recovery. He had none. He headed for the exit. 'I have to hunt!' He bounced off the wall, trying to walk, but he soon fell. "Damn it!" he cursed. As he was getting up, he felt a chilling gust of air. 'No… it can't be!' He was afraid to lift his head.

Silent steps with scratching sounds were heard. They belonged to creature similar to Eclipse; however, this one was a lot taller. He had bigger Z-shaped horns formed from his side quills pointing upwards, and the back ones were reaching to his knees, twisting from the half-way down, and he had a long simple tail. His eyes had the same style, except his seemed to be cold, and emotionless, and partly hidden behind pince-nez glasses. He had clawed feet, and hands, and sported similar red markings, and stripes. One more thing, setting him aside from Eclipse, was a robe with military feeling.

He walked around the laying demon without paying him any attention. Dust balls better hid further in the cave, only observing the scene. He stopped next to empty hourglass, and spoken with a clear voice: "What happened, Eclipse?"

The small demon jerked. His teeth were chattering. He was scared to answer, but if he wouldn't, he could have bigger problems. "I… I encountered a slight set back!" he quickly mumbled. "I swear I'll gather it in the next night! Please, give me a chance!" he shouted to the ground unable to face his superior.

"Gather?" he asked, moving toward him. His tail slightly stabbed the previously tore wing. A painful moan escaped Eclipse's mouth. "With this body?"

"Please, give me a chance. I have never missed the deadline before," he begged. That was true. He always worked hard.

"Very well then, but by the next deadline, you have to have the double amount."

Eclipse's heart skipped the beat. "Yes, I will! I won't fail you, brother Sirius!"

"And now… why are you in this state?" He slightly tilted his head, and his narrowed eyes were piercing him.

Eclipse shivered. What should he answer? Should he tell the truth? But then his prey and revenge would be stolen from him! "I… I…"

"Whatever," his superior sighed, "just don't fail because next time you will be severely punished." He made sure to pronounce the last word clearly.

"Yes, brother…"

His brother slowly walked away. With a simple hand gesture, he opened a portal to their homeland, disappearing inside. Eclipse was finally able to breathe freely.


	10. The morning after the nightmare (3-5)

It wasn't just Eclipse's miraculous survival that was unexpected. Only a mere hours after Shadow left the town with Sonic next to him, arrived another train, bringing two strangers. They were from hedgehog's family, but they had rather unusual quills.

The woman had Tuscan-beige fur and belonged to a small Tenrec family. Her front quills were extremely long, almost reaching to her knees, each was decorated with three metallic rings in the upper half. Her rear quills were, on the other hand, a lot shorter, hardly reaching to her shoulders.

Her mostly white dress was fluttering in the air, constantly waving with write crosses decorating her clothes. The same crosses were on her shoulders, but most of her upper torso was covered by the darker beige cape.

She slightly lifted her head, revealing lovely crystal blue eyes with blue shades on her eyelids. With a gloved hand, she adjusted her wide white hat with a similarly blue ribbon. A lot of men and even women glanced at her. Her oval-like ears twitched, as she heard a few notes directed towards her appearance, making her blush a bit. Nobody was doubting she was coming from rich family.

Next to her was an even more astonishing young man. His silver fur was shining, giving him fairy-like feel. His five front quills were growing from the forehead, creating a maple leaf-like crown, and providing a protection for his pointy ears.

Unlike the lady next to him, his rear quills were extremely long, almost touching the ground. He glanced around, and despite his eyes had a warm color of an amber, his stare was cold, enforcing the noble-like aura around him. His clothes were giving off strong military feel, and there were crosses on his shoulders, and sides of the trousers as well.

As they were leaving the train station behind, he adjusted his white gloves, and wiped some dust off his shoulder, making sure to look perfect. Between the duo was silence or actually, they were talking inside of their minds.

 _]So it happened here?[_ asked the woman.

 _]Yes, Gold, The Order got the message something big happened here.[_

 _]But it looks so peaceful here, Silver,[_ she answered, looking at a family walking on the other side of the street.

 _]The darkness is always hiding, lurking nearby to devour you.[_ He silently snorted; he had no time for childish-games or wasting it on pointless walks in the park.

He saw an empty cab going their way, so he stopped it, and they got in, heading to the branch office of The Order. Gold was observing the streets while her companion was thinking, and soon they stopped at their destination. The branch was located in a church near the town border. All the offices of The Order were like this. Certain churches had secret areas for the agents to gather, acquire information, and relax.

Each branch had own leader responsible for the town, and surrounding area. In this case, it was a gray bulldog man that gave Silver and Gold the papers regarding their case. He was quite puzzled why The Order requested them as it looked like an ordinary incident. Silver had no time or mood for chit-chat as he deemed it useless and time-wasting. So he just took the files and left with Gold behind him.

As they strolled the streets, they decided to visit places, where the incident happened, in the order of discovery.

* * *

The first stop was in the back alleys. It was the place, where the gutted dead body was found was circled by police tape.

"This is…" she spoke with her actual voice. It was melodic and silent, but maybe it was because she could feel the desperate emotions engraved into the atmosphere. It will take long days or maybe weeks for it dissipate.

"You can still smell the darkness here," Silver noted and frowned. He quickly searched the place, but he hadn't found anything new. "Gold, may you?" he asked.

"Yes." She stepped into the middle of the place. She put down her hat, revealing a thick circle with a gap in the down part, and a big dot inside it. Her eyes slightly shined just like the mark. Her quills were gently moving, as mysterious energy danced around her. After a while, it stopped.

"So, what did you find?"

"It was one demon. It was rather… intelligent," she answered, putting her hat back. "It attacked from behind." Not just she was able to use telepathy, but she could as well tap into a recent past and see what happened. The older the events, the harder it was to see them clearly. Her current limit was one week. Anything beyond that would turn into foggy images.

"Let's check the next place," said her partner, leading the way.

* * *

Soon they arrived in front of the collapsed house as they hadn't bothered with the second victim. There she looked into the past as well. "A black hedgehog… a priest…" she said once she had finished the mental search.

"A priest? Did he kill that demon?" There was nothing about a priest in the papers. Was he just a normal person? _'Hmm, at the wrong place, at the wrong time.'_ Silver dismissed it as one more victim couldn't do any difference.

"No, they have fought… the priest ended up buried and…" She pressed the right temple with two fingers. This gesture always helped her to concentrate on the blurriest pictures, and to ease her from a headache; it was the downside of her having such power. "The demon escaped… there was a child as well."

The silver hedgehog angrily snorted. "So the demon got some kid as well."

"No… it ran away." She looked around before pointing in one direction. "That way."

* * *

They followed the trail, and Silver soon noticed the child had overcome ridiculous distance. _'It must have been scared to death,'_ he thought, as they left the town.

"So it hid there, huh?" he noted, watching the old factory from distance. That place was their final destination. The agent made sure to observe the path leading to it, noticing claw marks as the pavement was mostly damaged by the weather and nearby tree roots. Nobody was coming here for like twenty or so years since it was shut down. It was a perfect place for shady figures to hide.

* * *

After a couple of minutes, they reached the front door, welcomed by a stink and dusty floor. The first thing, which caught his attention, was half-way rotten remains of a demonic wing.

"This must have belonged to that small demon," noted Gold, examining it as well.

The silver hedgehog pondered over it. _'So, the small demon is dead then? But who killed it? That black priest should be dead… Hmm.'_ He looked around. The piles of dust were everywhere, but one place was clean of it. He carefully walked around it. He could tell it was the aura of the person, standing in the middle, that wiped the dust away. _'Is this the demon's doing?'_ he pondered, glancing over the claw marks left on the floor, shifting his attention to pieces of metal that seemed to be bend with tremendous strength.

There was a lot of it; plates, pipes, the whole part of a platform, chains, and other stuff he didn't pay any attention. His focus was on the central part. It seemed something, or someone landed there. He was sure it was the demon. _'So, it landed here, moved there, releasing its aura, wiping the dust.'_ He slightly nodded, satisfied with his own reasoning. His partner shall find the reason for such behavior. "Gold, you can inspect this now." He walked away from his spot, letting her do the deeper scan.

"Yes." She opened her mind to the past, and the stream of memories entered her once more. Her eyes widen, as she screeched like never before.


	11. The morning after the nightmare (4-5)

"Gold!" the other one shouted, leaping to her, and shaking her body. To his shock, it didn't wake her up as it usually did. "Snap out of it! Can you hear me?" He shook with her body more, but to no avail. Her body was trembling, from her throat were coming screeching yelps, and her blue eyes were unfocused. This state lasted for several long seconds before her body collapsed. "Gold! Gold! Can you hear me?" Silver took her into his arms.

His partner only caught her head, curling up. Experiencing the horrible events done by demons was never nice sight, but this one must have been extremely hellish. "It's alright. It's gone now." He gently caressed her in his arms, feeling her body was shivering.

"I… I'm fine," she softly spoke. She slowly got from his embrace, standing weakly on her legs. She could still feel her inners to be squeezed by ice-cold grasp.

"What… did you see?" he asked after a while.

She clenched her fists. "It was horrible… there was darkness everywhere… it covered everything… That priest… that small demon… there was another fiend… it was bigger and scarier than anything we have ever encountered." She took a deep breath, trying to calm down her shaking voice. "Both demons fought… the small one lost… I think it's dead now." She again pressed her temple. "The priest was here too… the bigger demon devoured him." The Toucan-beige quills were swaying from one side to another, as she shook her head.

"That's enough," interrupted her Silver. "I already understand what happened here. It went probably like this – The boy ran here in order to hide, the small demon arrived as well, but both were unaware there was a lot bigger threat nearby. The demons fought over the child, and the small one was killed in the process. We can assume it was eaten as well together with the child."

"What about the priest?" She made a few uncertain steps toward a suitable sitting place.

Silver pondered about it a bit, walking in a short line back and forth. "He survived the first battle, which is a miracle, and pursued the small demon here. But he was surprised to find here even stronger fiend. He is possibly dead too. That demon… no, it might have been a devil, was too strong for him." The silver hedgehog got shivers. _'Maybe even I would have a hard time dealing with it.'_ He cleared his throat. "In any case, you take a rest, I shall search this place for more clues."

Gold did that gladly; this event left her largely drained, so she picked a nice spot on one big iron pipe. Before sitting, she cleaned that place a bit. It was true not just once they needed new clothes when their mission was over, but if she could avoid it she gladly did it.

Silver checked the ground, and since he didn't find anything interesting, he decided to move to higher areas. His body glowed with a bluish aura and was lifted into the air soaring. Yes, he was able to fly, not with wings but with his mind. He was a psychic, and with his power, he could grab any object he wanted, toss it, or even crush it with a simple thought. And he was using it to eliminate Lord's enemies.

' _The battle here must have been intense. It's a shame Gold couldn't see anything clearly. It would give us more answers.'_ He landed on one platform. He needed only ten seconds to glance it over. When he was about to continue higher, he caught sight of something shiny.

' _What's that?'_ He came closer to it, picked it up. "A silver gun?" He carefully examined it, noticing it was slashed and had an engraved text on it. "This must have belonged to that priest!" He started to think, and walking to his death, no, he used his mind to hold him in the air while he was walking down like there were stairs.

"What did you find?" asked him the golden medium, surprised he was back so soon.

He showed her the gun. "This puts a new light on my theory. The priest pursued the small demon here, and they fought; however, the second demon used it to its advantage, killing them both."

"Why to waste energy when one can do the dirty job for you, right?" noted Gold the most famous tactic used by demons.

"With this gun, it's obvious he was one of us." He looked at the scratched text 'I believe in you'. For a second, his mind pondered about the person engraving it, but it was soon pushed away as useless information. However, now it was clear, why that priest survived being buried alive, he must have been at least A-class agent. "Let's go find out more about him, the branch office here will have copies of his reports."

This was indeed an interesting find. At first, he thought this black hedgehog was a normal priest, but since he was one of them, he was surely observing the town closely. _'And better than that stupid bulldog,'_ he snorted in his mind. He had a little opinion about people in small towns and from his experience, they most of the time neglecting their jobs or were doing a poor job on documentation. Not that he thought highly of this priest either, but he was willing to give him credit for tenacity.

"That's a good idea." She stood up, surpassing the feelings of tiredness, and migraine. This wasn't the time, either the place to rest, they had a work to do. She followed him having a slight problem to keep up with his strides.

They departed immediately. Once they obtain those reports, they might be able to find out who this devil might have been.


	12. The morning after the nightmare (5-5)

They reached the branch office after a short time, but for the psychic waiting for the results, was like an eternity. He hated waiting, and how could simple question about the black hedgehog priest be taking them so long anyway? He was now sure the personnel here sucked. But there was nothing he could do about it, only to sit in the relaxing area, reading newspapers, and tapping with his foot. Thankfully, Gold was a lot better when it came to a patience. She actually welcomed this forced break and used it to clear her mind.

After two hours, the raccoon clerk, in charge of their request, signaled them she had it ready. Silver tossed the newspapers away, not caring where it fell and dashed to the desk.

"The person you asked for doesn't exist," the office woman informed him.

"What do you mean he doesn't exist!" shouted Silver at her, banging his hand against the desk.

Gold, who was standing next to him, gently pushed him aside. "May you be more specific?"

The psychic slightly growled. There were times when he had a really short temper.

The clerk cleared her throat. "I mean, this black hedgehog is not registered in our archive as an agent of The Order." She adjusted her glasses. "We were able to find only about the gun."

The impatient young man was surprised. No information about their agent, but something for the gun? There was something fishy going on!

The clerk continued: "Well, it belonged to agent Blue who went missing more than 8 years ago and is presumed dead." She put some folder on the desk that held the gathered intel.

The exorcist picked the papers describing his senior. The agent Blue was known for great attributions to The Order and was generally considered to be one of their top soldiers. _'How did that black hedgehog get the gun then? Did agent Blue give it to him?'_ He had found it unlikely; it was making no sense. Giving such weapon away was breaking the rules, not to mention it was considered a treason. There was a lot of stuff the public wasn't aware of about The Order, the demon hunting part being one of them. Each agent had to take an oath never reveal anything.

While was Silver thinking, another cat clerk brought a new paper, putting it down. "Here is what we have about the black hedgehog you asked for," said the raccoon woman.

All of them checked that paper. It consisted Shadow's rather short profile. The psychic hedgehog picked the paper, mumbling its content: "Name Shadow the Hedgehog… gender male… his weight, and height… age and hometown are unknown… a priest of a D-rank?" He almost shouted the last part, biting his tongue.

All priests in The Order had a rank. The lowest was D, and it consisted the most members, who were ordinary priests. The highest rank was S, which members were fighting with demons and, other unholy creatures on a regular basis and they were given special weapons. Silver and Gold were both S-ranked, and this silver gun was distributed those of A-rank, and above. There was no way a D-ranked priest could get such weapon.

"His address is," he squinted, reading it carefully. "Great," he growled through showing teeth, "on the other side of the town." He folded the paper, putting it in his inner chest pocket, and headed toward the exit. Gold apologized for his behavior, and thanked the clerk for her work, then she followed him. Outside they hired another cab, having to wait another twenty or so minutes to get there.

Once they got out, he thought: _'What a small church.'_ The building wasn't the biggest one. It had seats for about fifty people, and a few rooms for storing stuff, small kitchen and living space on the second floor.

Silver knocked on the door and waited, but no one answered him. He knocked louder; however, not even after two more attempts, anyone appeared. "That fake priest," he growled, realizing this person was supposed to be dead, making him feel stupid.

"Silver," called him Gold, who was walking towards him. "He is alive, but he isn't in the town since this morning."

"What?" he barked, turning at her, as she stopped. "Wasn't he supposed to die?!" He quickly took out the paper, reading it once more. It was true, there was no day of death.

"It seems, he must have survived even the incident in the factory," noted the tenrec medium; a shiver ran down her spine.

The psychic crumbled the paper, making a ball of it with his hands, putting into his physical strength instead of his mind, showing the level of his frustration. "That. That!" He was boiling. That priest wasn't making sense! He let out a strong snort before asking: "What did you find?"

"I have asked about him one elderly woman, who was walking by, and he got a letter, informing him about a poor health of his father," she continued.

"That must have been a lie!" He bit his thumb.

"Supposedly, he looked rather ill the past days."

"Ill? Could the priest ended up possessed instead of killed?" he quickly snapped his thoughts. He put his hands behind the back, and walked back and forth, switching to his thinking habit. "That may be the after effect of the possession." He shook his head. "No, it doesn't make sense! If he ended up possessed, why leaving? This place looks like a perfect hideout. Was there somebody else chasing this devil? Or was the devil afraid to stay in one place for too long?"

Gold was watching him for a while, before placing her own question: "There is still the mystery regarding the silver gun. I wonder how he took possession of it."

Her partner stopped, nodding at her. "And that's just one of many questions I have swirling in my head." He snorted, crossing hands in front of his chest. He kept the gun with himself, feeling it in one of his inner pockets the uniform was equipped with. "Do you know where he was heading?"

She slightly shook her head. "No, he didn't mention it, but he was taking a morning train. I presume one leaving between the eighth and the ninth hour."

"Alright, let's check the personnel then," he said, heading there.

This time he walked as the train station was about fifteen minutes away. However, the search took much longer, and it was Gold doing the most of it, as Silver was studying the train schedules. She was also sure he might start a fight as he was impatient and already grumpy enough. Once they were finished, they presented their results, finding only one possible place.

"So his destination is Green Hill village, huh?" he pondered aloud. It was a famous place for its scenery full of green hills, thus it got the name. "That's just a small village. So, he is trying to hide in shadows. How funny." He grinned in disdain. Whether the priest was possessed, or not, wasn't important as he considered him as a criminal. It was also possible he was a renegade who killed agent Blue and stolen his weapon.

While he was thinking, Gold bought the tickets for the last train heading to the Green Hill village, which was about three hours away. The train arrived shortly, and they got in. The pair waited for the bear conductor to leave after checking their tickets before tenrec medium silently spoke: "That blue boy hedgehog is with him."

"What?" The psychic jerked his head. "Did you read his memories? You know it's not your strongest point." He was right about that; she was able to read people minds and see the past of places. The ability to search memories was slowly developed over the time and often brought uncertain results.

"Yes, I'm positive. That man saw the boy and the black priest together," she said with a firm voice. "His memories of it were still quite clear."

Silver rested his elbows on his knees, and connected his fingers in a pyramid shape, and rested his chin between on them. After a while, he closed his eyes. When he had no space for walking, he did this instead it was helping him to concentrate. _'Why did he take that boy with him? As a hostage? Is he truly on the run? If so, why using public transportation? To use his surroundings as a live shield?'_

The more he thought, the more he was sure that the demon was preparing for something big.

The deep night had fallen on the town, but one station worker saw suspicious shadows moving around cargo wagons. He called his co-worker, checking one by one, getting gradually to the last one. He opened it, shining a light from his oil lamp into all corners.

"I told you, it's just your imagination," said the second man. If it wasn't for this, he would be already a good half hour ago on his way home.

"Guess you are right," the first one answered, closing the door, and together they left.

If this man would just point the light a bit higher, he would notice a figure hidden in the corner below the ceiling. It was none other than Eclipse who jumped down once he heard they were no longer close. "Damn mortals," he gasped. He turned toward his dust balls, as he heard them making sad sounds.

"I know you liked it here, but we have to move away. That weird priest was too much for me." He was scared of him. Who ever heard of a mortal having demonic transformation? He had no idea how was that possible, though he wanted to take a revenge.

At the same time, he knew he was weak. He had to become stronger, and fast. So he decided to move to another city, far from this place to hunt. Once he would recover, he would return here for a payback.


	13. A new path (1-4)

It was a few hours since Shadow and Sonic arrived in the village, not knowing, there was a duo investigating the incident they had got involved with. At this moment, they were staying in an inn, and Shadow had spoken with as a few people as possible since the feeling of uneasiness was still lingering inside of him. What more, he hadn't talked with the boy yet. He was unable to speak with him during a simple lunch, hardly noticing the taste his meal had as his head was swollen with thoughts.

It felt strange and suffocating, but he had no idea how to break the silence. It wasn't just that, the small wings were burning his skin. He felt them, constantly fighting with an urge to spread them, and take off to the sky while burning everything to the ground. Not even during the day he felt safe.

His original plan was to leave the town and never return, but Sonic made a mess of it. The priest was thinking, how to send him back home. He had no certainty the demonic transformation wouldn't occur again. There was no way he could risk this child's safety.

After the lunch, they headed back to their temporal room. It was a small one; it had two beds, one wardrobe, and a table with a chair. Shadow was standing in front of the opened window, watching the lively street below while Sonic was sitting on his bed. The ebony hedgehog wanted to continue traveling, so even staying here, was making him nervous. He took a deep breath, ready to face this challenge.

"Sonic-" He turned around.

"Father-" the boy interrupted him as they had spoken in unison.

"Ah, sorry, you first," mumbled the adult hedgehog.

"No, you, Father."

After a few seconds, Shadow cleared his throat, speaking: "I'm glad you are alright. I really am. When I heard from the aunt, you have gone missing I was afraid something might have happened to you."

The blue hedgehog only looked at him. There was no visible reaction, but the ebony hedgehog could feel the tension.

"I know, you must have a lot of questions. But I'm afraid I don't have answers. What happened that night…" He noticed Sonic shivered. "… that was the first time it occurred. I'm sorry for scaring you so much." Shadow came a bit closer, seeing, the other was getting nervous. The priest gently put his hand on the boy's shoulder. He was indeed shivering, bowing the head a bit.

"From the other people's reactions, I can see you haven't told anyone about it. I'm truly grateful. I don't know what I would have to do otherwise. I don't wish to hurt anyone." He noticed, he was starting to squeeze the shoulder more tightly, so he quickly retracted his hand, putting it behind his back. "It would cause nothing more than a panic."

The ebony hedgehog moved back to the window, taking two deep breaths. Despite the nice weather and gentle breeze, his body was burning and suffocating. "I wish to be honest with you. You might have heard about my departure. I was lying."

Sonic's head jerked.

"And yes, I'm well aware, how I have told you, lying is a bad thing. That remains true, but at the same time, there are moments when truth can't be told. What I have said, was a white lie. It's a special type of a lie that's hiding the truth with a good intention.

I love the townspeople and would never forgive myself if I would hurt anyone or you. That's why I'm leaving. I have made arrangements for a new priest or priestess, who should arrive in three days. I know it's sudden, but could you help him or her?"

Shadow turned to the blue hedgehog smiling. He walked closer to him, knelt and put once more a hand on his shoulder. "I'm sure that person will be unfamiliar with many things, so I'm asking you to help. It won't be me there, but don't let it discourage you from visiting."

Sonic clenched his fists.

"I'm counting on you to look after the church as well, so when I return, I'll be able to see how much you have grown."

The boy's eyes were watering.

"Every goodbye is sad, but we will see each other again. I promise." He gently wiped a tear from the lad's face.

"That's…" the child mumbled.

Shadow hugged him. "It will be alright. I'll ask The Order for a help. I'm sure they will be able to find out what happened to me that time. So be a good boy and grow up strong."

The blue hedgehog returned the hug, clenching the cloth tightly. "That's a white lie, isn't it?" he whispered.

The priest nervously smiled. "What are you talking about-"

"You are lying!" the boy shouted. "You don't intend to return!" The child strengthened the embrace, burrowing his head into the priest's chest. "I won't let you! You promised! You promised I can come to you anytime I want!" He started to cry.

"That was before… that." Shadow felt like crying too. "Now it's different. I would never forgive myself if I would hurt you."

"You promised to show me the place where I can run!"

"I can tell you-"

"NO!" he interrupted him. "I want you to look at me!" His voice was getting louder.

"I can't." The priests' head slightly dropped.

"You visited me when I had a fever, and never left my side!"

Shadow remembered it like it was yesterday. It was during the last winter when Sonic fell into a river, and it was him who got Sonic to safety. At that time they were soaked, but thankfully they haven't spent a long time in the freezing water.

"You scolded me when I did something wrong, but you never hit me for it!"

The priest disliked physical punishments for kids, he always preferred talking about it and making the child understand why it was wrong. Of course, when the situation demanded it, a small hit would be dealt.

"You taught me how to write, read, and count. You encouraged me to get better!"

Shadow hugged him tighter. These were the most cherished memories he had.

"You are my father!"

"I'm a father to anyone," he whispered into his ear.

"No, you are my family! You made me feel loved again! I don't want to lose you!"

This hurt, it was suffocating. More and Shadow felt he won't be able to send Sonic away. "That's enough… you will miss your train." He tried to loosen the embrace, but the boy held him tightly.

"How can I become a proper adult when I can't help the person I respect and care for the most!" The tiny nails dug into the robe.

"Even without me… you will be a splendid adult," the priest gently whispered, as his tears were falling.

"I don't want to be left alone… Please don't leave! I'll run faster and faster… so please…" Sonic got hiccup from all the tears, flowing into his mouth.

They went silent.


	14. A new path (2-4)

Shadow knew it, but still not doing it would hurt him more. His voice trembled as he spoke: "Sonic, can you stay by my side… I'm scared, I'll go insane." That was the truth. The bare truth haunting him for days now.

"I will," he answered firmly.

The ebony hedgehog let out loud sigh; a huge burden fell from his heart. They were holding each other for a while before a growling sound interrupted them.

"Now, this is embarrassing," mumbled the priest, slowly standing up, not feeling his legs. His stomach rumbled once more. "Let's have something for a snack."

"Yeah!" Sonic's eyes were a bit red from all the crying, but his face was bright. Together they went downstairs to order a simple dish, after all, neither of them enjoyed the lunch.

They were silent while eating, but this time it wasn't suffocating. The priest felt better and was grateful to the boy for sticking with him despite his uncertain condition. But it wasn't like he didn't feel any uneasiness, traveling with Sonic would undoubtedly put the boy in a danger whether it would come from him, or from real demons.

And thinking about demons, he wondered what happened to the one he had fought. _'Wait!'_ he suddenly thought as he bit the fork. _'My gun! It's still in the abandoned factory!'_ He took the fork out slowly, chewing mashed potatoes. _'I should have returned to get it,'_ he sighed, _'but my head was one big mess.'_ His ears drooped a bit. _'And that demon… should be dead.'_ Even if his memories were fuzzy, he was sure those injuries he sustained were too severe. The priest glanced at Sonic, who was stuffing his face, and decided not to ponder about it anymore. It was in the past, and there were more important matters to concentrate.

However, neither of them had any idea that demon was even at this very moment still alive, slowly healing. He had left the town with his pets, but that was just the beginning of their journey. Eclipse was curled up in a dark place, having restless sleep. Nightmares were haunting him, replaying his near-death experience over and over. His body jerked, forcing him to wake up. His eyes shot open unable to focus for a few seconds. He held his breath before he realized there was no danger anywhere. A long sight left his throat.

He looked around, seeing nothing changed in the old cargo wagon, they used for a temporal hideout once the train stopped before the dawn. He would continue, but he was too tired for that, and his wing was killing him. He slowly stretched his limbs one by one, muffling painful moans. He moved to the door, peeking through a small gap, seeing the sun was still up, but it should set soon. However, he didn't dare to open the door, letting the light inside, so he went back. It wasn't like it could turn him into an ash, but it was making him feel unconformable; still, he was sure his pets would suffer.

' _I guess it's late noon or so,'_ he thought tired as he tried to stretch his body more. Pangs of pain were shooting from his regrown wing, making him dig claws into the metal floor. _'Dang it!'_ he cursed. _'It will take me at least week to get back into a shape!'_ He continued to stretch himself, ending up more tired than before, resulting in sleepiness.

He turned around, checking on his dust balls, which were sleeping in a corner, protected by an old blanket. They looked cute and were the only one keeping him somewhat positive. He crawled closer, adjusting the cloth, making sure it keeps them warm, before returning back losing his smile. Because of him, they weren't getting enough nutrition. He wanted for them to grow and aid him in his monthly work to collect negative energy.

But he felt pathetic, he was the one in need. He sensed strong urge to kill that priest was rising, but his body shivered once the memories resurfaced, and he fell to the ground, hugging himself. _'Who was he? Such power!'_ He was afraid… he was terrified. _'What if he will find this place? What if he is looking for me? What will happen to the little ones? Why I never heard about such priest?'_ His head was killing him with all these thoughts. He curled up, tightly shutting his eyes, trying not to think about it. Long minutes had to pass before he was able to fall back to restless sleep. He had no idea he was considered to be dead, and at this point, it was unclear if it would make him happy.

Around the same time, Shadow was packing his suitcase, and his head was heavy, full of gloomy thoughts, and fears. Filling his luggage didn't take long, there wasn't much inside of it, and he didn't take out anything either. He more or less only checked the content in a hope to relax his mind. He sighed in his mind, looking out of the window.

The sun was still above the horizon, but the evening would soon come. He checked the lock on his suitcase and then went to close the window. The hinges let out eerie creaks, and for a brief moment, everything turned dark, before his eyes adjusted. Without saying a word, the priest slowly took down his robe, putting it on the bed. Under it was a bandage wrapped around his chest, and he continued to unwrap it, without uttering a single word.

He could feel Sonic's eyes glued to him, watching him in a silent awe. The green eyes widen, as the pair of small wings, growing instead of rear quills, appeared in front of him. The boy's heart skipped a beat, and his legs moved him closer.

The ebony hedgehog's body shivered as strange sensation ran through his body. It was burning him from inside, and he felt there was some voice whispering in his head, or was it just a hallucination? It was hard to tell, as the blood in his head was throbbing. He tried to inhale, but no air could enter his lungs. His mouth opened and closed like he was a gasping fish.

"Father, your bandage got undone, let me show you how to fasten it," said a small voice.

The ebony hedgehog went weak in the knees, abruptly sitting down. "Ah, thank you," he replied as he could finally breathe. The burning feeling was gone, and he suddenly felt tired. What was he hoping for? To scare Sonic? To test his resolve to stay? Or to test himself? He was unclear about that, but those simple words and honesty made him feel better, and that voice was gone.


	15. A new path (3-4)

Soon, after the bandage was put back, they headed to the train station, where they awaited the train that would take them to Rosemary City full of tall buildings, industrial areas, and with one of the most beautiful historical centers. Once there, Shadow bought the tickets while Sonic was waiting, looking around.

This train station was smaller than the previous one as it had just three rails, but there was quite a number of people. It wasn't surprising since Green Hill Village was a popular place to visit even during early autumn. After it, they had to wait for the train to arrive, and that made the boy quite uneasy. He disliked waiting, but this wasn't time for him to be bratty about it.

Shadow tried to distract him by telling him some stories from their town until the train arrived. A lot of people walked out, but not many got on. In the corridor, the lad was walking first, looking for an empty cabin. They had to move through three wagons to find such place. The ebony hedgehog was glad Sonic understood his situation, figuring out it would be better to be alone.

Once they sat down, facing each other, the train started to move, and a few minutes after it the conductor came checking their tickets. Once the man was gone, the priest started to explain about demons:

"I'm sure you know about the First Creation, so I'll be brief. In the beginning, existed two beings – Solis, the Essence of the Light, and Mensis, the Essence of the Darkness. Together they created the world and every living creature. They made wind, water, fire, and earth as well."

The boy nodded. This was a story he had already heard, but it was nice to listen to it. The creation of the world was always an interesting topic, and he had seen a lot of pictures portraying both Essences.

The black priest continued: "Once everything was created, they walked the world, seeing how everything went. But after some time, they realized their traveling was causing problems to every living creature. As they were together, it was eternal dusk on half of the world and deep darkness on the other. They pondered about it and after a long talk, they had found the solution.

Solis and Mensis decided the best answer was to go separate ways. Solis took the form of a sun, and Mensis of the moon, thus creating a day and night as we know it. They circled the world, changing the time for rest, and for work in the balance. But nothing could last forever, after a time, Mensis got tired of seeing the dark world below him. He chased Solis to switch places, but it made his friend only run faster, shortening the days each round they finished.

Mensis in his anger started to swallow every light. Solis had no choice, but to seal his friend in the center of their creation. It is said, during their fight, Solis shed tears, which transformed into stars, and with the remains of his power, he created a new moon. Since that time, Solis walked the world alone, bringing the light. But it was too much for him, so that's why the winter has short days, and it's snowing. It means Solis is taking longer naps to get energy for spring and summer."

The priest made a pause for the boy to digest it all since he noticed the lad was thinking. After a while, the youngster said: "That was still quite long."

The priest made wavy smile. "I do admit, I haven't shortened it that much, but back to the main topic. After the sealing, Mensis promised to take a revenge. In the center of the world, where the immortal flame burns, he created many twisted creatures that are known as demons. However, it took hundreds of years before the demons got through small cracks in the seal.

The people were terrified of them, but many stood up to oppose them, and those people later established The Order and continued to expand to protect innocent lives. Demons collect souls or energy that comes from negative emotions such as anger, jealousy, hatred, fear, and others. They are as well capable of twisting positive emotions or intensify the negative ones."

"What they are doing with it?" Sonic asked as he never heard about this. He slightly scratched behind his left ear emphasizing his curiosity.

"No one knows for sure, but it's speculated they are gathering it to break the seal to free Mensis, and ultimately taking over the world, destroying everything. Even demons need food, so I think they may eat it as well."

The boy shivered, his own experience with a demon was scary enough.

"The first step in repelling a demon is to wear a cross." Shadow reached into his inner pocket, where he was keeping spare crosses, he was bringing in a case someone might need one. He stepped forward, putting it around the boy's neck who checked it before hiding it under the T-shirt.

The priest sat back and continued: "This one is ordinary, so it can keep only weak ones away. For stronger demons, you will need chanting and clear mind. Not letting negative emotion control your heart, will increase the effectiveness of your defense as well."

Sonic carefully listened and tried to memorize the priest's words.


	16. A new path (4-4)

A few hours later, after the train with Shadow and Sonic left, another one arrived bringing Silver and Gold, the duo agents from The Order, into the Green Hill village.

"Finally here," he said once he touched the pavement, stretching his body, noticing they were the only one getting out. This day was a long one. In the morning, they arrived at their destination, found out many strange things, and now they had to move to another place while pursuing fake priest.

"I'll find out if he left the village," his partner informed him and walked away to peek into minds of the people who were still present. The psychic, meanwhile, left to do his own research and after it, he sat down on a bench. He hoped the fake priest was still there, he would hate to continue like this.

After ten minutes or so, the tenrec returned, bringing the results. "Unfortunately, I wasn't able to confirm if he is here," she said, pressing her temples. Reading people's memories was always tiring her fast, especially if she did it for an extended period.

He nodded. "Let's go check the villagers," he said calmly, getting up. They left the station, heading toward the night village. Gold tried to enjoy the scenery a bit, and for a moment she was able to glance the famous hills around this place. They were dark, but she was at least able to see the silhouettes thanks to the moon and clear sky.

The night was silent and dark only street lamps were shining, all other lights were put off. No one was awake, even the pub was closed for the business. They walked a bit more, before stopping nearby the nearest inn. The tenrec medium took a deep breath, and slowly searched the memories of those sleeping there.

After a few minutes, she said: "He was here, but he has left together with the boy."

That sure wasn't something he wanted to hear, but he didn't let it be seen on his face. "They must have taken a train. It was the fastest transportation after all." The exorcist frowned. He hated when his target was eluding him. "But which destination he had chosen?" He took out a paper, where he wrote down the places this village was connected by trains.

He started to ponder. The priest was definitely planning to move soon. He had to find out, where he was heading, and anticipate his next move to finally get ahead of him.

"Rosemary," mumbled the medium tenrec.

"Huh?" The silver exorcist looked up from his notes surprised.

"That hedgehog priest mentioned it to that boy." She strongly knitted her eyebrows. While her partner was reading, she went deeper into the innkeeper's memories. It caused her quite a headache, but she was able to find their new destination.

"Are you sure?" he inquired. "Why would he reveal his next move to that kid?" The young psychic folded down his paper, putting it back into the pocket.

"Well," she started, as she was rubbing her eyes, "I think he might not be running from us. How would he know about us?"

"That's the truth," he pondered. Was he overthinking this matter?

His partner stifled her yawn, continuing conveying the information: "They spent half of the day here. If he was running, he would continue immediately."

"You are right, Gold." The psychic started to think and walk in a circle. "Let's assume he is keeping the boy as a hostage without the kid knowing it." He pointed his index finger toward the sky while walking. "Answering a simple question would definitely earn its trust."

"So telling him where they are traveling will do the trick." The medium could only agree with this.

"That's right. The problem is," he put both hands behind his back, "the last train to Rosemary city has already left." He gnawed his lip as he stopped. There were still two trains departing in a matter of fifteen minutes, but those were heading the opposite way.

"Let's rest here and wait for the morning train. Rosemary City is big, searching for him will wear us down," reminded Gold in a worried manner.

"Tired body is accompanied by a dull mind, I know the saying." He smiled.

"Yet you hate to wait," she teased him a bit.

Silver slightly blushed and his eyes shot away from his partner. "Ehm, let's get the room," he mumbled, before loudly knocking on the door of the inn.


	17. Rose & Thorns (1-8)

When Shadow and Sonic arrived in Rosemary City, it was almost ten o'clock. However, they were able to go to sleep a good hour later as they had to travel to the outskirt of the city to find a cheap inn. Thankfully, in this big city, there was a lot of them, and most of them were open until the midnight.

The next day they got up later since they were tired. The ground floor was a simple dining room functioning as function as reception as well. There they ordered a simple meal, and while Sonic was stuffing his stomach, Shadow was thinking. He wasn't sure what do next. There were many questions in his head, causing him a headache.

Once they finished their meal, he told Sonic to stay in the room and read his book to review all, that he had learned yesterday. The blue hedgehog, to priest's surprise, listened to him and headed there. The ebony hedgehog had to chuckle a bit as he remembered the last two times he didn't heed his words. Well, it wasn't funny, it just for some reason it made him smile. Maybe the sight of Sonic not playing any pranks was just so unusual it made him crack a smile.

He slightly sighed and headed outside, as he decided to scout the city a bit, stepping into the lively world. The priest was immediately welcomed by buzzing street full of people. He headed toward the center as he didn't have any particular goal. His eyes were going from one corner to another, observing the magnificent city.

Though he was in a down-town-like part it didn't mean the streets were littered or dirty. It was the opposite, the surrounding was quite clean. He also saw a relatively big number of buildings with at least three floors. The colors of the plasters were variating from white, beige to different shades of brown. Some houses were decorated with red ornaments.

On his way, he almost bumped into a few people, as he was looking around. No one was paying him much of an attention, he was just another person in the crowd. In front of him, he heard a lot of shouting, and soon he arrived on a small market. Merchants had their shops opened since the early morning, shouting, and luring potential customers from all directions.

He made sure to check the goods, but there was nothing he could buy. _'With the money I have, we can stay in this city for about a week, but what's next? I have to find a way how to get some income.'_

Priests were always receiving money, based on reports to their superiors, and since he lied about his departure, there was no way he could ask The Order for it. Not to mention, how to present them his current condition? It would surely cause a lot of commotion. He had to now take care of Sonic as well.

He sighed in his mind, looking up, seeing glittering City Center above his head. The center held the tallest buildings and was standing upon a hill. In the past, it was important to build cities like this in order to use the natural terrain as a mean of protection. _'Hmm, I'm sure, I have read somewhere something about catacombs. I wonder if I'll have a chance to see them,'_ he thought, as he was remembering one text about this wonderful place.

' _Maybe I should return-!'_ As his body was turning back, he suddenly felt a strange sensation. He had no name for it, he just knew, it stopped him from moving. _'This feeling! What is it?'_ His eyes wandered around, glancing small running figure. An unfamiliar smell entered his nostrils, and a strong urge to chase that child rose inside of him.

His head spun for a moment, and that forced him to lean against the wall. Just a second later, two dog men dashed past him. Shadow in an instant knew the child was escaping from these two.

The small figure ran into the narrow street between tall buildings. "So annoying," said a girly voice, revealing the gender of the child. Her short cape was fluttering behind her, and her breathing was getting short. Her heavy legs were forced to move forward, but she wasn't able to run from them as her arm was caught.

"I've got you know!" shouted the first man, strengthening his grip so the girl wouldn't slip away.

"No!" she squealed and pulled.

The second man stopped just a step from the first one, catching his breath, before speaking, "You sure gave us a lot-" His voice was silenced, and his body collapsed on the ground.

"Hey," called him his smaller coworker, and his body slightly turned back. "What-?" He felt a sharp pain in his neck, and everything blackened, taking his only chance catch a glimpse of the attacker.

The girl made a few steps back, looking at the black hedgehog. The one saving her was none other than Shadow the Hedgehog who was now gasping. His body moved on its own like it was the right thing to do.

"Are you alright, little lady?" he asked after a few seconds, trying to hide his own shock.

She slightly tilted her head, and based on the next movements, she checked the laying bodies and then him, before speaking, "Yes, thanks to you. You aren't from this city, are you?"

"Well, no," he answered surprised. _'How could she tell?'_ He felt, she was looking right into his eyes, and that made him for some reason a bit uncomfortable.

"If you were, you would never knock them down." She adjusted her cape, checking if it was somewhere dirty.

"Why? It was obvious you were in trouble," he argued, but he also felt unsure, "no matter, who they were, I can't overlook them hurting an innocent child."

The little girl slightly giggled. "You are a very interesting person."

He was sure the girl was teasing him. "Do you perhaps know them?"

"They are employees of Rose Family," she answered without a worry, and he caught a glimpse of her smile.

The ebony hedgehog gulped as a cold sweat covered his body. There was no way he wouldn't know about Rose Family. They were one of the most important, and oldest families in the whole kingdom. They came into this city shortly after it was established, and they quickly became rich. With their wealth grew the city as they financed its expansions. The City was later given a name Rosemary to honor the family that contributed to the city.

"And you are?" He started to feel he was getting in deep trouble.

"I'm," she slowly spoke as she uncovered her face. Her blue eyes were shining, and her pink quills were neatly brushed and held down by a red headdress with a rose ornament attached to it. "Amy Rose, the only daughter of Rose family." She performed curtsy, showing frills on her simple, yet elegant dress of pinkish colors.

Shadow wasn't able to believe his own eyes, as he scanned the girl in front of him, noticing a small handbag of a similar color in her hand. Her shoes were a bit muddy, showing, she had been running for a while. From her attire and manners, he was certain she wasn't lying. That meant only one thing; He was in deep trouble.

"But why were you chased by them, if you are part of the family, Miss Amy?" he inquired, hoping this was just a misunderstanding.

She slightly nodded. "Call me just Amy, please, and I was running because I don't want to be in that house anymore." The girl pouted, looking quite adorable.

"But your parents must be worried about you!" he quickly added.

"I don't care," she said, but there was something off, but that was soon gone, as she kept going, "I want to travel, so I'll travel!" Her personality seemed to be rather tomboyish, which was unusual for a rich girl.

"B-But…" The ebony priest was at lost; however, he had to act fast. "Let's first get these two to safety." He bent down, grabbing one in armpits.

"Suit yourself," she merely said, turning and walking away.

"Miss, you may run into a trouble!" he called her while dragging the man to the side of the alley. "Please, return here!"

"No way!" She twisted in the waist and continued with a playful smile, "And if you are so worried, why don't you accompany me?"

The ebony hedgehog sighed, quickly moving the second man, and following her. "Allow me to accompany you home," he insisted as he reached the pink girl. "I'm sure your parents will listen to your worries."

"No," she firmly answered, frowning at him. "If you try to drag me there, I'll start screaming. I have a very high pitched cry you know." She made almost devilish smile.

The ebony hedgehog wiped a sweat from his forehead. "Then… what about you tell me what's troubling you? I might find a solution for you." He was quite confident in his ability to listen and give advice.

"I don't feel like it," she replied, sticking to her guns. Shadow had no other choice, but follow her until she stopped in front of one shop. There she looked at the merchandise before saying, "But if you stay with me for a while, I may feel like it."

"A-Alright," he had to agree, as starting commotion was the last thing he wished to do.

"Yay, let's go then!" She grabbed his hand, pulling him behind her. For a little girl, she was having quite a strength. The poor ebony hedgehog was stumbling behind her.

Around the same time, there was a train heading towards Rosemary City, bringing a great danger. In one coupe, were sitting Silver and Gold, the agent duo pursuing Shadow. The tenrec woman closed her eyes, trying to concentrate on what she had seen in the factory. These faint memories kept haunting her in dreams, making her nervous and stressed.

Unfortunately, with every passing hour, the images got blurrier and blurrier. Only the feel of great fear wasn't disappearing. Whoever that second devil was, it was the most powerful creature she had encountered. Just thinking about it, made her scared. She shivered, opening her eyes, looking at her partner.

She wasn't worried about herself, but about Silver. Once they would find this devil, he would engage in a fiery battle, not stopping for anything. She could only hope he wouldn't die.


	18. Rose & Thorns (2-8)

Meanwhile, Shadow was dragged by Amy to many stores and places, and before he could notice the tower bell rang the noon.

"I'm tired," she said, sitting down on a bench in a park.

The priest was tired too. He was surprised a small girl was able to talk for so long about clothes. Well, he was a bit surprised she wasn't interested in a jewelry given her status. He wondered how she was brought up and educated. From her speech he could tell she was well mannered and smart.

He was watching her when she turned to him and asked, "You know, Mister…" she made a small pause, "Oh, right, I forgot to ask your name."

He made a wavy smile as he realized he forgot to introduce himself, but there was just no time for that. "It's Shadow the Hedgehog," he quickly answered, trying to keep her focused on him instead of getting ideas where to go next. He felt his legs were killing him as he was exhausted. He was used patrolling the whole town with ease. It sure was puzzling him, or checking clothes shops was more tiring than simple patrol.

"So you have no surname," she stated as only important families or special people had the privilege to gain surname. "I thought you would have one."

"I'm just a simple hedgehog after all." He took a short breather before continuing, "Will you now tell me about your troubles, Amy?" He didn't want to press her, but prolonging her disappearance wouldn't do any good. He witnessed many crying parents worried about their children and he was sure it was the same in her case.

"You are a kind person, so I'll keep my promise." She nodded at him and he replied the same way, but her remark rose another question if his.

"Why do you think, I'm a kind person?" During their trip, she was acting friendly, showing no signs of being nervous, or afraid of him. It was like they were old friends. He thought Amy was just so open and easy going person, not fully aware of dangers of the outside world. While that was good, it could cause her a lot of trouble. "I may actually be a bad person, trying to gain your trust to kidnap you," he said in a joking manner, but he meant it seriously.

She giggled a bit. "You do have a point there, but you can say I'm good at judging people." she winked at him and added, " Not to mention, I don't recommend you to be a kidnapper, you would be bad at it."

"You are right about that." The ebony hedgehog had to agree as it was more like him getting kidnapped by a child.

"So, as I told you, I'm from Rose family, and as it happens, I was supposed to meet my fiance in the next days." Amy pouted a bit showing she was irritated by it.

"Shouldn't it be a happy occasion?" The priest slightly shrugged his shoulders. Many girls from his town were telling him how much they were looking forward to their own weddings, or how much they love their boys.

"Are you kidding me?" she barked making the other shudder. Shadow felt she almost bite his head off. "I have never met that person in my whole life!" she hissed, "My father announced it just this morning! That guy is ten years older than me!" she tossed her arms in the air, going on, "No way I'm going to spend the rest of my life with some old man I don't love!" She crossed her arms, pouting, and frowning.

He could tell she was very angry, so he had to be careful how he approached her problem. "You don't know that for sure," he started gently. "This person may be good, and kind. I have heard of couples having such age difference, and they were still happy."

She sighed. "I know," Amy admitted. "But it's not fair to be told like this." She stopped knitting her eyebrows and loosened her arms as well. Maybe she was feeling a bit guilty for her burst of anger.

"I can agree, you should have been told sooner." He wished to say more, but nothing came to his mind. He thought this was a matter he should discuss with her parents if they would hear him out. Shadow curiously looked around, realizing there was something off. "And there is one thing bothering me if you are a daughter of such famous family, how come people aren't recognizing you?"

He was right, no one was paying them any attention. He was sure if a famous person would appear a lot of commoners would love to see them at least.

"Well, my parents kept me inside the mansion all the time, home tutoring me and such," Amy answered without much care. It was obvious her mood was gloomy. She let a breeze caress her quills.

' _She was kept at the home?'_ he pondered in his mind. _'But then how can she judge other's character? Even adults struggle with it from time to time. There is more to this girl than meets the eye.'_

He was deeply thinking about it when she spoke, "So, where do you live, Mister Shadow?" Her voice was surprisingly cheerful.

"Eh?" He looked at her dumbstruck. Where did such question come from?

"I asked you where you are staying," the pink lass repeated. She leaned a bit forward to see his face better.

"Right, I have rented a room in an inn."

"Alright, then let's go!" She jumped down from the bench, putting her hands behind her.

"What?" he asked, still not fully grasping the situation.

"Well, I told you about my problems," she was frowning a bit, "but I'm not ready to return home. So if you are a nice person you won't let a small child wander those big dangerous streets alone, right?" In the end, she tilted her body making a big cheesy smile.

He shivered as he felt a devil was hiding behind her angelic face. He didn't dare to argue, as she would only run away, really getting into trouble. Her offer provided him more time to talk with her. The ebony priest hoped to convince Amy to return home, so he didn't protest.

On the way to the inn, he noticed she was looking around. He couldn't imagine how it must feel to be a prisoner of your own home, never knowing the world around her. He wondered if she ever felt lonely closed in the house, having only adults around her. However, maybe that was the reason she acted so maturely.

In a sense, he was glad she ran away, it might help her parents to understand her better, or it might make them furious and more determinate to keep her away from everyone. This sure was a tricky situation and Shadow decided he would help her the best way possible. With his brain occupied, they reached the destination in no time.

While was Amy busy observing the inn, he got her a separate room and thankfully, it was the one next to his own. Then he took her to the second floor.

"Sonic, I'm back," the black hedgehog announced his arrival as he knocked on the door, and walked into the room.

"Welcome-" The boy jumped from the bed, greeting him, but he slightly barked when he saw Amy standing behind the priest, "What's that girl doing here?"

"Is this how you speak to a lady?" she replied back with a question, looking stern.

Sonic clenched his fists and pouted. A mere girl had the guts to talk back? He pushed back the urge to stick his tongue out. The boy decided to show her how respectable he was.

The ebony priest silently giggled, feeling the sparks in the air, and he promptly introduced her, "Well, this is Amy Ro—Ugh!" He silently moaned through gritted teeth as she kicked his shin, surprised those shoes had such sharp sole.

"My name is Amy, and due to certain events, I will be staying with Mister Shadow. It's nice to meet you," she introduced herself, hiding her surname, and doing a small curtsy.

That made the other kid blush because she suddenly looked so elegant. "I'm Sonic, Sonic the Hedgehog," he announced proudly, puffing his chest.

"Do you know what is for a lunch?" Amy asked looking down at kneeling Shadow, who was chafing his leg. "I feel hungry a bit."

"Whatever the chef did," the adult hedgehog answered feeling the pain was going away.

"You mean it's a surprise?" the pink girl cheerfully exclaimed. "Then let's go. I can't wait!" she dashed out of the room, calling her new friends to hurry.

They exchanged uncertain expressions, and then they followed her. Shadow then ordered the main dish and joined both children, who already sat around a vacant table. They had to wait for a couple of minutes before the warm meal arrived.

When the plate was put in front of Amy, she curiously observed the mashed potatoes mixed with cooked vegetable sprinkled with a cheese. She sniffed the aroma, and Shadow thought the girl might be very hungry because she tasted it. He was sure such simple and poor looking meal couldn't appeal to her. Oh, how wrong he was.

"It's delicious!" she shouted to the whole dining room. "I never had such tasty meal!" She put another spoon in her mouth. "It's so simple yet the taste is so rich. The chef here is a genius!" she called at the waitress that giggled, and walked away to convey her praise.

The ebony priest smiled. What a strange girl she was. He started to eat too, noticing she wasn't exaggerating. The meal was tasty, and who knows, maybe it was tasting better because she was so cheerful about it.

Sonic observed her and adjusted the way he was holding cutlery. For some reason, he couldn't help it. He wanted to look cool. After a long time, he and Shadow were able to enjoy a carefree meal.


	19. Rose & Thorns (3-8)

When the bell rung half-past twelve, a delayed train finally reached its destination. It was impatiently awaited by many people, some were using the public phones to inform their families, friends, or coworkers about the delay, others were reading newspapers acquiesced with the extra time.

The iron horse finally stopped, and a crowd of people walked out. "Finally!" barked Silver, once he touched solid ground.

They were supposed to arrive more than an hour ago, but the train had a mechanical problem on the rail, so they had to wait for the emergency repairs to be done, however even then the train was going slowly. If there was one thing the psychic hated more than demons, it was waiting.

Gold stood next to him, adjusting her attire. "Let's visit the branch to get our usual house," suggested his partner.

"That will be the best." He nodded, heading to the exit, but before they reached it, he switched to telepathy. _]Gold?[_

 _]Yes?[_ she inquired. Whenever he started a conversation this way, it meant he was serious.

 _]Don't tell anyone why we are here.[_ He frowned a bit as he had to stop to not trip over running child that got in his way. Kids were also on the list of things he disliked.

 _]You don't want anyone to get in your way, right?[_ noted Gold.

 _]Yeah, they would be just a burden.[_ Silver strongly snorted in his mind.

 _]Even me?[_ She looked away.

Those words shocked Silver that he almost tripped. _]Wh-Wha? No-No, you are not a burden![_ His hands started to widely gesticulate, making quite a group of people interested in him. After all, for them this wordless spectacle was hilarious.

Even if Silver knew about their eyes, he would ignore them, right now he wanted to correct Gold. _]You are my partner! The only person I completely trust! Really![_ He felt stupid for not thinking about her.

Gold slightly smiled, feeling better. _]I only wish I could do more for you. I don't mind if you get another partner for this job. My combat abilities are insufficient after all.[_

They reached the pavement in front of the station, stopping at the edge to call droshky. They didn't need to wait for one for too long, as this place was always in need of quick transport. Once the cab stopped, they got on, and Silver said, "Take us to Central Street 123, please." He handed the driver some money in advance, making the man happy.

"No problem, sir," answered the cat driver. "Yip, yip," he called his horse, and the animal started to gallop.

Silver resumed his silent conversation with his tenrec partner. _]No, Gold, you have helped me more than any combat oriented exorcist would. You taught me how to lay barriers and special patterns to capture demons. You have stayed by my side all these years despite me being such a jerk most of the time.[_ He felt a blush on his face. It wasn't often he admitted his temper wasn't the best.

Gold waited for a couple of seconds, before answering, _]You are a better person than you think.[_ She watched his curious and surprised expression.

 _]How much better?[_ he inquired.

With her fingers, she showed him like two millimeters and slightly stuck her tongue out. The silver hedgehog blushed more and turned away. She was teasing him, but he didn't mind. She was the only person he allowed to behave in such way towards him. Any other person would be mercilessly smashed into the ground.

After this, they both silently watched the streets of Rosemary City. Silver didn't care if this place was bursting with life or on the brink of collapse, it was just a city, an area full of people. He would hate all of them anyway at the end of the day.

Gold was opposite to him in this matter. She deeply cared for the well-being of all people she encountered, trying to help them the best way she could. Part of the reason was hidden in her childhood that was anything but happy and carefree.

After ten or so minutes, they arrived at their destination, and Silver paid the rest to the cat driver. Only Gold took a moment to examine the decorated door leading to the big church that was hiding a branch office. It worked here like in other churches, part was open to the public, and the other was only for the agents of The Order.

Inside was spacious, with high ceilings pained by pictures from the mythology, depicting the creation of the world, various demons, and other scenes including the burning of witches. The last image was giving Gold shivers, so she refrained from looking up. They soon reached a door, leading to the hidden face of this place.

Silver gathered his inner energy in his palm, pressing the door handle, and the door silently opened. If anybody else tried it, the door would remain closed. There was the small lobby behind the door. It wasn't full, but there were enough people, starting with secretariats assigning jobs, receiving reports, and handling the material connected to the particular case to agents waiting for results, requested information, or just relaxing after a job.

Gold scanned the personal until she found the right person, she wanted to talk with. Silver rolled his eyes as he didn't exactly like this purple cat woman with glasses.

"Hello, Blaze, how are you?" asked Gold once she reached the desk.

The called woman lifted her head from the papers, and her yellow eyes shined. "Ah, Gold!" Blaze jumped to her feet. "Long time no see!" She was shining like the sun.

"It's good to see you too, Blaze," they hugged over the counter.

Once they let go, Blaze looked at Silver, saying, "I see you are still with the little silver boy," she snickered.

Silver silently growled. He hated how she was reminding him he was seven years younger than Gold. She was teasing him with that since the first time they met, and the only reason why he didn't crush her was that Gold was her close friend.

"What can I do for you, my friend?" The purple cat pushed her glasses up as it had tendencies to slid down from time to time.

"Can you get us our usual house? We just arrived after a long mission, so The Order allowed us to have a small vacation," Gold presented her white lie and added, "Unless something big is reported." She shrugged her shoulders.

Blaze sat down. "Really! You have to tell me about it!" She was eager to hear the story, as she was all the time behind the desk. Not many agents were sharing their stories with her, and Blaze just loved anything packed with action and adventure. One could say she was a geek.

Gold started to tell her about one of their older missions she hadn't told her yet. Blaze was listening and filling the request form at the same time. It was one thing she was good at, writing and listening without messing it up while talking. Some people were making fun of her for it since she seemed like some chatty busybody.

Silver was one of such people, so he left them, heading to a different part of the lobby to sit down. He picked a place in a corner of relaxation area, having a nice view on the chatting duo. Gold's face was grimacing, and Blaze laughed, showed fear and shocks, looking like a small kid. The psychic snorted, questioning her mental age he took the newspapers, unfolding them, checking the front page.

Soon he noticed it was a long time since he read them, as he missed a lot of events. He didn't care unless it was connected to his research or him, but having a general knowledge of the state of the world was one thing he was trying to achieve. He leaned in the soft armchair, reading one article after another.

A full hour passed before Gold finished her story. "… and that's how it ended."

Blaze's face was burning from the excitement, and she gasped, "Must have been something!" She took the stamp, pressing it on the paper, turning it into an official document. She could do it minutes ago, but she was so absorbed in the story she forgot. She handed it Gold, stating, "Here is the certificate. Now you can use that house." She got up, heading to get the keys since all were kept in the back room.

"Thank you," Gold replied once she got the keys. "Be well." She waved her goodbye.

"Enjoy your little honeymoon," Blaze playfully whispered to her, grinning.

"B-Blaze!" Gold stuttered, blush rushing to her face.

That made her friend only giggle more before she sat down, continuing her work.

Silver's ears pricked as he heard quick steps, he almost snapped, thinking it was some idiot trying to disturb him, but it was Gold. "Why are you red?" he asked, finding it strange. She wasn't the type of person to get fewer easily.

"N-No reason! I have keys, let's go." Her answer sounded somehow hoarse, and she quickly turned toward the exit, leaving Silver behind.

He stood up, putting the newspapers on the table, looking at Blaze slightly confused. The cat clerk raised her head, happily waving at him with a big smirk only a cat was capable of making. He shot at her angry glance, before following Gold outside, thinking, _'She must have said something annoying again.'_

With this, he hoped he would be a step closer to the black priest. Now he needed to know if he was still in the city or not. _'Once I'll find him…'_ He clenched his fists, making a list of his favorite torture methods for him to experience.


	20. Rose & Thorns (4-8)

However, it wasn't just Silver who was having a bad day. In the great mansion of Rose Family was a gloomy atmosphere full of a tension. After all, this morning the young lady was spotted using the back door in the garden, sneaking out. The servant who saw her alarmed two guards who promptly followed her, but they brought bad news.

The room where they had reported their failure was the main office, but it could be as a small library since one wall was full of bookshelves.

The men were standing in front of big, heavy table where official papers and folders were neatly arranged and organized. Not even a drop of ink was present despite there were three different inkstands and numerous pens. The head of the family always believed the order on the table reflected the situation in one's business.

"How could you lose my daughter?" shouted an elegant-looking woman in an expensive yet simple dress, standing next to the table. Her fur was pink, and her quills were neatly brushed behind the head, creating an illusion of blooming rose.

Behind the table was her frowning husband. "Who was it?" he asked with a firm voice. He was calmer and belonged to a hedgehog family with reddish fur.

"We… don't know, Mr. Rose," the left guard answered. "When we found her, someone knocked us out."

"So my daughter is in hands of some filthy criminal?" the woman screamed, and her green eyes were partly covered by tears rushing out. They kept her protected! She got all she could ever need! So why did she leave them? They even announced to her who will be her fiance. Everything looked so bright. So why?

"We are sorry!" They deeply bowed. Mister Rose dismissed them, letting his wife being the only other person in the room.

The master of the family was thinking aloud, "If that man isn't a fool, he will ask for a ransom."

Despite looking calm, his brown eyes were full of anger. He was also confused by his daughter's behavior. She had gotten the best education, and she had shown strong character. The teachers praised her for quick understanding and clever questions that sometimes left them wondering, pushing them into studying the matter more closely.

"But why now, Reagan?" his wife asked him. "We did our best to protect her! How could this happen?" She was wiping her tears that refused to stop.

"Do not worry, my dear Adeline. I will find our daughter." He looked at the paper where the servant's confession was written. There was one thing that kept bugging him, but he couldn't put finger on it.

"But her fiance should arrive tomorrow. What if that man won't ask for ransom? I'm so happy he accepted the proposal, Reagan, and now this happened."

They planned this for months, talking about potential candidates and successor of their business. Every person was thoughtfully examined and selected for their qualities. Ms. Adeline wished for Amy to have the best husband possible, so she was very nitpicking about each aspect; however, at the end of the long journey, they have picked a very promising candidate. He was traveling from a far away city, so being told his fiance ran away, ending kidnapped, was out of the options.

"Then we will say she went to visit her niece, or that she is temporally feeling unwell, that will give us some time." His words calmed her down a bit. "But in any case, I will send my best men to conduct an undercover investigation."

Reagan Rose then started to prepare for the ransom, picking his most trustworthy men to search the city.

Meanwhile, in a certain inn at the outskirt of the city, Amy finished baking cookies. Her father would never dream about a day his daughter kidnaps an adult man and forces him to do her bidding.

"Here they are!" She brought a plate full of cookies into the room Shadow and Sonic shared. "The lady here is so kind, letting me borrow the kitchen." She put it on a small table, and the room was immediately full of delicious aroma. Shadow wasn't doubting it was because she was praising the simple dish the chef made for lunch for a whole hour.

Sonic didn't wait, taking one, gulping it whole. "H-Hot!" he mumbled with a full mouth, but he didn't stop chewing. "But so go-o-od!" He was tossing the hot chewed cookie in his mouth, trying to cool it with his breath.

"That's what you get for being greedy," Amy noted, giggling a bit. "And of course they are good, I baked them." She stuck her tongue a bit. "I was learning how to bake in my spare time. I knew it would come handy one day." She put hands on her hips.

Shadow carefully picked one, eating slowly to not burn his tongue too. He also liked them a lot, but he kept his excitement low, not leaving crumbs on his face like Sonic who stuffed the second one in his mouth, ignoring it's burning his cheeks from inside. Each bite made Shadow's taste buds scream in pleasure, demanding more, and he was sure Sonic felt the same. No wonder he wasn't able to stop eating.

"Don't eat them now, I still have to bring a tea," Amy said to Sonic who was reaching for the third piece.

He involuntarily pulled his hand back, having to wait for her to bring the tea which thankfully didn't take long. She brought the tray with a teapot and simple teacups with visible scratches showing their age.

"Here it is," she announced, putting it all next to the cookies, where one more was missing already swallowed by Sonic's stomach. She glanced at him with a smirk, pouring his tea, showing she knew he took one. Once everything was distributed, she sat on the last vacant chair, taking a sip of her tea. "I wish it would taste better, but oh well," she noted.

For a rich lady, it must have a rather bland taste, but Amy seemed to enjoy it nevertheless. The fact she was out of the mansion made her happy. Despite the light mood, Shadow had to worry about her situation at home. How should he bring it up, without causing her to turn stubborn?

Meanwhile, Silver and Gold, sitting in the cab they hired, finally reached their temporal house. It had two floors and was built in popular Victorian style. However, that was the last thing the young psychic cared for. All he needed was a hole-less roof, no draft, no humidity, and bed with blanket and pillow which meant, apart from ruins, any inn fulfilled his desires.

"Here we are," they got off the carriage and paid the driver the rest of the bill. The house could easily provide a space for five and more people. Of course, Silver never had that many people around, unless it wasn't during large-scale missions. He also never requested servants like other agents, the fewer people around him, the better for everybody.

Gold opened the door. "It still looks nice." Even if no one lived here for months, The Order always sent people to keep their houses clean and ready to be used except for fresh food. The only things they could find were teabags and long lasting supplies.

The house could easily please a noble as it was elegant and mostly toned to white, light beige, and brown colors. This simple interior was also one reason Silver liked to stay here. The other was the big space and about ten minutes distance from a city library and historical archives.

"Well, yes," answered the indifferent silver psychic. He never got attached to any place, even if he had found it pleasing. What for anyway? He had traveled like half of the world already he had no home. He headed to his room where he took off the military coat and boots, laid on the bed and fell asleep. After a few minutes, his partner covered him with a blanket.

Gold then left to the kitchen checking the teabags. She was humming a simple melody, finding many of her favorite flavors present. After a long pondering, she had chosen one with strawberry and kiwi. She put the bag into a big cup with a hand-painted heart. While the water was heating, she checked the cupboard for some cookies. There was no way she would have a tea without one.

"Ah, Lotus!" she squealed, finding her the most loved type. The biscuits were caramelized and crispy, making them undeniably delicious. She took the whole package out, poured the tea, and put all of it on a tray, taking it into a small library room. A good book would make sure the half of the snack would be gone in a blink of the eye.

While she was relaxing, enjoying the simple taste, Amy was thinking about her companions. She already knew Shadow was a nice and trustworthy man. Sonic, on the other hand, seemed to be a bit childish, but that could be expected. _'Hmm, I think the boy isn't a bad person either,'_ Amy pondered as she was leaving the inn. _'But his clothes are quite old. I'll buy him a new one.'_ She smiled, excited to go on a small trip on her own, without any adult telling her what to do or chasing her.

Shadow, who was in his room, sniffed. "Amy…?" He quickly went to the open window.

"What's happening?" asked Sonic, looking away from the book as he was practicing his reading skills.

The priest looked outside, seeing how Amy was disappearing behind a corner. "Amy went outside. That's not good," he ran after her.

"How's that a problem?" asked the boy following him, locking the door.

"Let's hope, it won't be a problem," muttered the priest. He quickly found her still walking on the street. "Let's keep an eye on her for now," Shadow suggested.

Sonic didn't know why, but he complied anyway. During the time he found it to be fun, not to mention he saw many new things. They watched her for almost an hour before she entered a clothes shop and stayed there for a long time.

"So she was looking for new clothes? How it can take an eternity?" the blue boy complained because he disliked waiting and staying idle. They were sitting at the edge of a pavement, resting, and nobody was paying them any attention.

"Well, girls are very particular about their appearance. They wish to look pretty," Shadow noted. He finished talking about an early history of The Order, and how it was established by a wise man to protect people from demons. This was also one of the more popular stories from holy books, and many writers used it as a base for their novels full of adventures.

"How stupid," the small hedgehog frowned. "Wasting time on some silly clothes." He crossed his arms, happy he can see Amy finally leaving the shop.  
The priest silently chuckled. "You will understand when you will be older."

"Hey, there are some men around her," the young hedgehog whispered, understanding something bad might be happening.  
Shadow slowly stood up, and while dusting the robe, he carefully examined them. It seemed Amy recognized one man, and her expression wasn't a comfortable one.  
"What will we do?" Sonic asked in a low voice, moving behind the priest.

"You will follow them. They won't pay much attention to some kid but be careful," the priest uttered under his breath. "I'll be right behind you, so don't worry and lose them if you think they have spotted you." Shadow glanced the street, not seeing any other person who could be in cohorts with those men.

"Okay." Sonic headed their direction as they were leaving. His heart was widely beating he thought they would hear him. His hands were sweating, and the urge to cough was rising, but he swallowed some saliva to vanquish it.

Thankfully, nobody noticed him, and the group soon entered back alleys. At that moment, Amy tried to run away, kicking one man into shin, successfully rendering him skipping. However, some cloth was put over her mouth in the next second, and her consciousness soon drifted into darkness.

Sonic silently hid behind a trash bin in the alley, carefully watching from behind, laying on the cobble ground. _'A delivery wagon?'_ he thought after inspecting the vehicle.

"Let's get this money bag," a gray wolf said. He was wearing official Rose delivery uniform. "I don't want any problems. I'll meet you at that place!" With these words he put restrained Amy in a chest, closing it, and then he went to the driver seat.

' _They will disappear!'_ Sonic bit his lip. If he didn't want to lose them, there was only one thing he could do. _'I have to try!'_ For a second he ran on a place, before dashing after the speeding wagon. He became so fast he looked like a blue blur.  
"What was that?" shouted one man when Sonic stormed among them.

"Must be a gust of wind," answered the other. "Let's go or the boss will be angry."

"Yah," agreed on the third one.

Neither of them had any idea their plan was leaked to unlikely duo of heroes.


	21. Rose & Thorns (5-8)

Not too long after it in a Rose Family mansion a cat butler was hurrying to his master who was in his main office. "It's here!" he shouted, waving with an envelope in his hand. He had brought a ransom letter to his employee.

"Good," said Reagan Rose, reading the content. "Immediately prepare the money." He stood up.

"Should I inform the police, sir?" asked the brown cat. His heart was widely beating, and many questions swirled in his head.

Reagan pondered about it for a while before answering, "No, let's try to solve this without endangering my daughter even more. If they would spot the police, they may escape, taking Amy as a hostage."

"Yes, sir." The man bowed and ran off to supervise the preparations. A few strides before the door, it opened, and lady Adeline entered, quickly moving from butler's way. He bowed to her, mumbling apology before he continued down the hallway.

"Dear?" she asked, looking confused. Her green eyes widen once she glanced a paper in her husband's hand. "Is that…?" she silently asked, coming closer. Her heart started to pump the blood faster, spreading the adrenaline in her whole body.

"Don't worry, everything will be alright." He smiled at her, accompanying her to their room. He ensured her with a soothing voice, Amy would be soon safe and sound next to them. Half of the time he tried to convince himself too.

What would he think, if he knew, there was a boy trying to save her as his preparation were underway? The blue boy, who jumped inside of the wagon, was carefully listening. For the past minutes, his ears were turning to all possible sides.

He tried to wake Amy up, but she wasn't responding. He was afraid to speak any louder, so he inspected the chest. However, he had no luck opening the lock, he only found the breathing holes. That at least meant she wouldn't suffocate. In the end, he hid behind the boxes and sacks, trying to figure out what to do next.

The bouncing carriage started to slow down. Sonic's fur bristled, as the blood was pumped into his system at tremendous speed. He covered his mouth to silence his breathing, but he felt like choking up.

The wolf man jumped down, heading to pick up his hostage. When he entered, the boy would swear his urge to sneeze was never so strong. He plugged his nose, curling up. His body was shivering.

"We arrived, little princess. Did you have an unpleasant ride?" the wolf asked with a sarcasm. He doubted she could hear him, but if she could, he wanted to mock her. He kicked the chest to check on her, almost making Sonic to yelp instead of Amy who seemed to be still unconscious. The man smirked, opened the chest and took the girl out.

"Your parents will pay me a hefty amount of money for you," he noted, carrying her in his armpit. He didn't bother to check the cargo space since he had no doubt his plan was flawless.

Sonic, on the other hand, though he had spent a whole eternity before he could start breathing. For a few seconds, he had to catch his breath. He used that time to listen, trying to determinate how many men were outside if any. He didn't dare to risk anything, blowing his probably only chance to rescue her. Then again, his liability to save her alone was in all likelihood already small.

So he waited for a few minutes, before silently moving to the exit. At the opening, he waited a bit, before finally peeking out. He scanned the surrounding, noticing he was in the warehouse complex given how tall and big the buildings around him were. He let out a long sigh, climbing down. Once he touched the ground, he noticed his legs were shaking.

'Calm down! Calm down!' He hit them with a tight fist, slowly walking to the side of the wagon. Weak legs were the last thing he needed. His ears pricked as they heard silents steps coming from behind. He gasped, almost turning around when he was tightly hugged and his mouth covered. He grabbed the arm on his mouth but a familiar voice whispered,

"It's me, Sonic!" It was Shadow who caught up to him.

A huge burden fell from the boy's shoulders, and he relaxed his body. The priest let him go, standing up, but he quickly and silently scolded Sonic, "What got into you? Jumping inside the wagon like that? What if he would catch you?" He gestured Sonic to follow him to a more secure place.

"I just couldn't stand and do nothing!" The boy spread his arms. He felt angry he didn't praise him for his bravery.

Shadow turned back, stroking his quills. "I know, you have a big heart. I was worried he would take you too." His smile was gone as he quickly pressed Sonic against the wall, and the priest crouched.

The young lad swallowed, pricking his ears. Some men gathered in front of the hangar as he picked some muted words. When they were all inside, Shadow tugged his t-shirt, gesturing him to silently follow him. The boy nodded, and together they checked the back area and the other side of the building.

Thankfully, nobody was outside. They weren't expecting anyone to sniff around, but just in case, Shadow carefully listened before looking for a way to access the roof.

The hangar was full of racks filled with goodies, merchandise, sacks, and smaller boxes while the biggest boxes were put on a pile, arranged so lifting machines could easily pick any and move it to the exit.

Amy was held in a small office with a high ceiling, tied up to a chair. Her mind was now half awake but still a bit groggy. "You won't get away with this!" she shouted, squinting as the drug was affecting her vision as well.

The gray wolf only smirked. "If you would be a good girl, you would be already caught in the morning."

Her eyes widen as her brain was processing that information. "What do you mean?" Were those two chasing her in cohort with this one? That would mean overhearing the info about the broken lock of the back door in the garden was intentional too. Did they count on her to try runaway? Whatever it was, they used her agitation to their advantage.

The wolf didn't bother to answer her question, merely looking at the boar henchman. "Keep an eye on her while we get the money." The wolf winked at him. "You know what to do."

The boar winked back. "I know, I will take good care of her." The way he pronounced the word 'good' made Amy feel uneasy.

Unbeknownst to anyone down, there was a duo listening to their conversation through a broken roof window. Shadow found an eaves pipe that helped them to climb up. Well, only Sonic used it since the ebony priest was too heavy. He instead dug his fingers into the wall. It painfully reminded him he wasn't normal, and the holy book inside of his uniform was burning him. But this wasn't a time to worry about his existence.

He was glad this was an old building since the office didn't have a separate ceiling, making its walls tall as the hangar. Spending time here during winter was like being in a freezing hell. That was one of the reasons for moving the main office into another building. That made this place rather empty, and not many people were coming here.

The wolf finally left the room. He closed the door loudly to create an unpleasant echo. It was one of his ways how to antagonize Amy.

The boy shivered. "What were they talking about? I barely heard anything."

Shadow whispered him the content of the conversation since he could hear it. Once again he was reminded of his abnormality, but in both cases, it helped him. The ebony hedgehog thought for a while. "I can get down and rescue her, but getting back here without a rope will be difficult."

He was biting his thumb as he inspected the walls. Apart from the beams running through the inner walls, there was nothing to use as a footing. The wires were too thin to support their weight not to mention an electricity was running through them. If they were just punks, he would take them down swiftly, but he was sure at least one would have a gun, if not all.

He stopped harassing his thumb, and he clenched the cross. _'If… What if I…'_ A voice full of desire to devour and destroy started to whisper. He tightened his fist, biting his lip. The thing he was afraid was happening.

"I have an idea," said the boy silently, chasing away the other voice, but it seemed he didn't notice any change in Shadow's face.

"Tell me," Shadow prompted him. He moved his head closer, listening to his whispers. "That's crazy!" the priest barked, quickly muffling his voice with a hand. "You will be in great danger! It… It can even kill you!"

"But I can do it!" The boy looked into his eyes. "And… I…" The words couldn't leave his mouth, but Father Shadow guessed what he was trying to say. He experienced what it meant being close to death. That demon was a lot scarier than any criminal down there could be.

The ebony hedgehog gnawed his lip before giving in. "Alright, guess we don't have much of choice." He talked with the boy for a bit longer, creating the plan. Once the boy nodded that he memorized it, the priest started to climb down to get his part started.

Meanwhile, the wolf was reminding his henchmen what their roles were. The carriage would be there in about thirty minutes, and they were supposed to wear masks. The communication from their side would be done through prepared papers. The wolf who was leading them would be waiting behind the building. Once he would get the money, he intended to move them into separate packages, disguising them as normal boxes.

Their leader was sitting at a big box, having his speech, "… so, don't mess up-" His eyes shot forward as he glanced a movement. There was an ebony hedgehog closing in.

"Dear gentlemen, may I offer you my humble service?" Shadow asked them gently.

"Who the heck is this?" asked one man.

"What's the priest doing here?" another one voiced his question.

The wolf angrily glanced at them, before he smiled, turning toward the priest. He jumped down off the box, walking toward the ebony hedgehog. With a hand behind his back, he gestured his man to stay put. "It's nice to see a diligent man. What's brings you here?"

The priest slightly bowed. "I merely travel from one place to another, searching for a people in need of Lord's wisdom." A thudding sound was heard, but no one paid it any attention.

"How honorable, but were are just honest people, taking a rest after a long day. We shall visit a church on Sunday." He opened his arms in a friendly way, but it was obvious he wanted for the priest to leave.

"Oh, that's nice of you, but I still have to ask." Shadow cleared his throat. "Is there anyone looking for a path?" he shouted.

The wolf growled, but he still tried to sound polite. "Please, not so loud, a few of my companions are already sleeping after a fulfilling hard work."

Suddenly, from the office room, a new voice ringed, "I, I! I'm looking for a path!"

"What?" The wolf looked back, twisting his body in the waist.

The ebony hedgehog smirked.


	22. Rose & Thorns (6-8)

If these men weren't so full of themselves, they might have noticed something was about to happen behind the scene while Shadow was distracting them. On the roof was Sonic shaking in his sneakers, nervous, and panic slowly filled his body. He was looking at Amy who was probably talking with the boar man, but he had a hard time to hear their words.

"How unusual," the boar man said, playing with his dagger. "I thought you would be begging for your life and offering me money," he taunted her.

"Hmpf, there is no point in negotiating with a rotten person," she answered proudly and firmly, putting her chin forward. There was no way she was going to show her fear to such low person.

"You've got guts I'll give you that." He came closer. "It's almost a shame I have to gut you. I bet we could use you more than once, but the boss wants you dead." He looked into her eyes. She was frowning, not backing down. She stared right into his eyes, and that was driving him crazy. "I guess you aren't worth the trouble," he said at the end, stepping closer.

The girl was shivering. Was this the end? She tilted her head to look into his face. A big grin was decorating it, and his big head covered the view on the roof window. He lifted the dagger, its blade reflecting the light from a lamp.

She closed her eyes, and her fingers dug into her palms. The small heart in her body skipped a beat, as it expected a big pain. The next seconds were like an eternity. Suddenly, a thud sound was heard as something big had fallen down.

"Ouch, ouch," murmured a small voice.

Her eyes shot open. "So-mmh!" Amy gasped, muffling as her mouth was covered.

"Psss." Sonic gestured her to be quiet. She nodded, so he let her go. The boy quickly looked around, feeling his legs started to shiver once more. He needed to move. Finally, his eyes found the dagger the man lost, and with it, he cut the ropes.

"How did you get in here?" she whispered.

"No time! Gotta run!" he took her in his arms.

Amy blushed before her body jerked, and her hand reached toward the chair. "M-My bag!" She quickly grabbed it, pressing it against her chest before her arms wrapped around Sonic's neck.

Sonic had no idea what was so important in it, but it was filled to the brim. The boy concentrated on running in one place, warming up his body. Stopping meant he might start thinking, and that would make him insecure. He abruptly shook his head, burrowing his daze into the door in front of him.

"Is there anyone looking for a path?" Shadow's loud voice startled them both.

A shiver ran down Amy's spine as the excitement took over her. Her eyes widen. The thoughts of her rescue filled her mind. She was happy to see Sonic coming to save her. Hearing Shadow's voice strengthened that feeling. Her mouth was dry, but she felt incredible urge to answer that call.

Her mouth opened ready to scream her lungs out, but she was overtaken by Sonic's own voice. "I, I! I'm looking for a path!" His call echoed through the room, shooting toward the sky.

"What?"

She heard someone else shouting. It must have been one of the men outside she glimpsed when Beole left. Amy's ears pricked, turning toward the door. She desperately tried to hear something more, but all she could pick up were muffled sounds.

Then she heard some steps, getting closer. Her grip around Sonic's neck fastened in the anticipation of next seconds. She didn't even notice boy's legs got faster they now resembled a blurry circle.

The door opened, and Sonic darted outside. Amy's eyes had no time to adjust to that speed. Her brain barely noticed a knife on Shadow's neck, and a gentle smile he gave her. Her lungs let out a long scream before leaving the hangar.

"What was that?" yelled one man after another, and the trio that was knocked down was especially shocked.

Beole, who was still had his dagger on Shadow's neck, was in a second knocked down by a strong blow to the neck. Shadow intended to use this chance to the fullest by beating as many of them as possible.

His eyes glanced over the group, seeing two running away. Both were shouting something about vengeful spirits. Good, two down, a lot more to go. They quickly turned their attention to Shadow and one reached to his jacket. As the priest feared, he took out a gun. He had just a second to react or to face the pain from being shot. "Ha!" he shouted, pointing behind the man.

It was an old tactic, but the criminal still turned around, probably afraid something will run from behind just like earlier. That was all the priest needed to overcome the distance, burying the knee in opponent's back. The man made some hoarse sounds before collapsing. The gun fell to the ground, and metallic echo filled the room.

"Why you!" shouted at him one-eyed cat bandit. His dagger aimed at Shadow's side, but he used the holy book as a shield. The weapon got stuck in it, then a quick swing disarmed the cat bandit, and kick in guts sent him to the ground couching. The book flew off Shadow's hand, landing behind his back.

Shadow spared a second to catch a breath, and that cost him his freedom as two men grabbed his arms. They thought they got him, but Shadow grabbed their dirty tan tops, slammed them together, and send them down with a quick spin of his body. The priest was astonished by how easily he had done it, but he had no time to think. One of them kicked away the gun on the floor toward another guy.

The dog criminal made an obvious choice and hid his dagger, switching it for the pistol. Shadow had no way to prevent him from getting the weapon, especially when the last bear criminal attacked from behind with powerful punch. The priest thankfully avoided it in the last second, feeling only the gust of the air scratching his muzzle.

With one eye he kept glancing at the armed bandit, who was inexperienced with guns. However, that was turning him into a dangerous individual. Shadow made a few small backward jumps, dodging one punch after another. The bear criminal was probably an old boxer.

Shadow waited for him to jab before dashing under him. He grabbed his thick fur and lifted him in the air. The bear bandit was shocked somebody more than head smaller was able to uplift him. Not to mention his body was muscular, weighing a ton. The criminal had hardly any opportunity to ponder about it, not that his brain capacity was noteworthy.

Shadow put him over his body, sprinting toward the dog with a gun. The dog's jaw dropped when the big mass was tossed at him. He dropped the gun, turning to run away, but it was too late for him, and the big body landed on him. A loud thud filled the room.

The priest had to take a deeper breath, looking around. Two men, he slammed together, started to slowly stand up. He didn't waste a minute, with a few strides he closed the gap, knocking both down once more. He checked on everybody else, but there was nobody standing up. He wanted to sigh in relief, but he instead covered his mouth and clenched his stomach.

He could hear that voice. It was whispering. He shook his head, refusing to listen. When the voice didn't get a positive response with flattery, it switched to threats, to go back to sweet talking in the next seconds. It was demanding from him to feast on their warm meat and beating hearts. To let the fresh blood soak the ground. Shadow felt disgusted as his mouth started to water, and the thoughts of tasting the pure blood filled his mind.

The priest bit his lip, drawing his own blood, and he balled his fists. The voice refused to quiet down. 'Go away! Go away! The Lord is with me!' he screamed at that taunting voice. He abruptly shook his head, dashing from that place. He had to get on the air, clearing his head. He was also worried about Amy and Sonic.

And speaking of the girl, her father's carriage stopped in front of the hangar just a few minutes after the priest left. 'So it's this place.' Mr. Rose frowned, realizing it was a place used by his company to store big and long lasting supplies. He got out, bringing with him a suitcase full of the money. He didn't resort to trickery, knowing his daughter's life was in big danger. "I'll go, you stay here," he nodded at the driver and two guards who accompanied him.

The reddish hedgehog approached the building when someone wobbly stepped outside. He squinted, not believing his eyes at first, but it was true. "Beole!" he shouted at the wolf while getting closer. The guards, upon hearing their friend's name, walked closer but decided to keep a safe distance, having the order on their minds.

Mr. Rose stood next to the best man. "What happened to you?" He asked, eyeing his body. There was no visible wound, but his uniform was dirty.

The wolf lifted his head, his vision was blurry, but he recognized his employer. "I… I saw the kidnapper…" he murmured while holding the frame of the opening.

Mr. Rose's eyes widen, he almost barked his next question, but the harsh training and living in the business world stopped him. So he asked without raising his voice: "Where is he?" He helped his employee to stand up, using his own body as support, taking him to the carriage.

"I'm sorry… I don't know… I tried to save young lady… he took her away." The wolf Beole lowered his head.

"Do you know how he looked like?" Mr. Rose gestured to his guards, and they ran into the hangar, while the driver took Beole.

"He was… a priest… a black hedgehog," the wolf huffed as he sat down inside the carriage. He was rubbing his neck, his ears flattened.

Mr. Rose frown. He had great respect for priests and hearing one of them strayed from the path made him extremely angry. "You did well, now take a rest." He turned away, walking into the hangar, leaving the suitcase with the driver. Once there he immediately saw there had to be a huge fight. Unconscious men were laying everywhere, and his guards were checking on them.

They were careful to not destroy any evidence. Mr. Reagan Rose stopped next to a big bear. Under him was laying another body. He pondered for a bit. 'Was the bear tossed?' ran through his mind. He reckoned this bear might weight more than one ton. It seemed unreal, but their placement was suggesting it was true.

His eyes scanned the area when he noticed a laying book. He quickened his steps to get it from the ground. It was pierced by a slightly rusted dagger. His blood started to boil as this was Holy Book. Did it mean the kidnapper was really a priest, the representative of their Lord? Mr. Rose clenched his fist.

'If he will dare to hurt my daughter…!' He didn't dare to finish the sentence. When his men called him, he listened to their report before ordering them to call other guards. Those men were to be questioned by them, as he still intended to solve this without the police.


	23. Rose & Thorns (7-8)

Meanwhile, in the inn, nervous Sonic was walking in circles. Shadow still hadn't arrived, and the sun was slowly setting. He would never think they would have such adventure. The boy didn't want to admit it, but he was walking, so he would keep his legs moving, hiding the shaking.

He thought tailing Amy was the most adventurous thing he would do, but now they had encountered dangerous men and witnessed her kidnapping. His rescue plan was also crazy, and now he was realizing how dangerous it was.

He wasn't afraid of the height. However, if he would miss, that boar man would create a fuss, ruining their plan. A cold shiver run down his spine. The last hours sure were crazy. If there was one part he enjoyed, it was the run-to-the-hills one. The air was whistling all around him, and the scenery turned into a blurry image, connecting all houses into one block. It was a blessed time until he realized that screeching sound was coming from Amy and not his amazing speed. Then again, he might don't want to listen to it every time he would run.

' _Where is he,'_ he muttered in his mind. The wait for the priest seemed endless. When the door creaked, the boy almost jumped out of his quills.

"Father Shadow!" Sonic exclaimed, throwing himself around priest's neck.

Shadow had to step back to not fall backward. He hugged him in return, feeling intense burden had fallen from his shoulders.

"I did it! I ran and ran!" He jolly chanted into an ebony ear, making the other almost deaf.

"I know! You did great," praised him Shadow, and the boy jumped down.

However, Sonic's legs finally gave in, and he landed on his butt. Shadow silently giggled as he watched the boy rubbing his landing pads. His dark eyes glanced Amy sitting at the bed. She was quiet and focusing on the boy. The priest was sure this experience left her scared.

Amy must have noticed he was watching her since she turned her attention to him. Yet again, her crystal blue eyes pierced right through him, but there was no malice but complete sincerity. "How did you actually find me?" she silently asked. Her small hands were clenched.

"Well, I..." Shadow knew, saying he smelled her would sound weird and bring up more question, so he reworded his answer a bit, "noticed you were going out and since your situation is a bit complicated, I have decided it would be best to keep an eye on you."

Her eyebrows knitted as she replied, "So you were stalking me?" Her cheeks huffed a bit.

"Is that how girls say thank you?" inquired Sonic sarcastically. His imagination of this moment was much more cheerful and full of freshly baked cookies.

Amy lowered her head, feeling ashamed. Sonic was right she should thank them. However, her pride was hurt a bit. She thought she could take care of herself. The young lass had many books in her head she knew them by memory. Her father told her a lot about his business and his travels. She was sure she could navigate in the outer world.

"Now, now, no one would like to be tailed," Shadow noted in a soothing voice, patting Sonic's quills. He then continued, "Then we witnessed some shady people around you, and Sonic hitched the ride. But since he was unable to get you out, he waited for a better chance.

When I arrived, we made a rescue plan. It was a little daring, but with Sonic's speed it was doable." Shadow tried to sound calm like everything was perfectly planned. However, Amy's face suggested she was now aware it wasn't easy or carefully planned.

Then she smiled, adding, "Sonic run really fast! It was like flying!"

The blue hedgehog looked proud, puffing up his chest. "I can go even faster, but I had to slow down for you." He rubbed under his nose.

Shadow was sure he was trying to impress her. He was glad this ended, but there was still one matter that had to be settled. "Can you tell us why did you leave?" Shadow sat down on the chair as he felt tired. He would probably arrive sooner, but he had to push back that voice in his head. Thankfully, it seemed it silenced itself, for the time being, letting the priest enjoy some sense of peace and quiet.

Sonic looked at Amy and took a seat on the other bed. The boy let out a sigh, feeling the adrenaline was gone. He now felt more tired than before even sleepy.

Amy took her handbag that had a few stains on the cover and took out a small package. "I thought I would get Sonic something better to wear. You do take care of me." She smiled at him.

The blue boy turned crimson in his face, and his ears flopped down. Shadow smiled too. It seemed Amy had a good influence on him. Sonic jumped down off the bed, now completely awake, and took the package.

"I hope I got the right size," the pink lass silently mumbled. A bit of redness was on her face too.

The boy opened the package and spread the white T-shirt with green rims. The green lines had very similar shade like his eyes. He threw it over his shoulder, spreading on the floor light-brown shorts with pockets. This piece had blue embroidery around the rims. It was already equipped with suspenders of light-beige color, and white socks were neatly folded next to it.

"Sorry, if it's not your style," she silently added. It seemed like a good idea, but then again, boys never liked to buy clothes. Now she was sure she should pick something different. Maybe a toy? Boys loved small soldiers, cars, or a model of a train? However, neither was practical for traveling.

That's right! The books! She should have looked for one! But what if he disliked reading? What was his level anyway? And what type of book? There were more thoughts like this in her head it was making it spun.

"It's awesome!" he exclaimed, throwing Amy off her mind. "Can I really wear it?" He looked at her, not believing his eyes. Those were the best-looking clothes he had ever got since he started to live in the orphanage. Not that he would complain about his old clothes, but all of them were already worn out. The feeling of having something that was his own made him excited.

"Of course. Clothes are made to be worn." She delightedly smiled. The blue boy immediately started to change which made Amy blush a bit as she turned around. Sonic was so happy he didn't realize it. Shadow watched them with a small smile.

"How do I look?" he asked after a while.

The girl slowly turned around. "You look great," she honestly replied.

"Like a proper hedgehog," added Shadow.

A loud growling sound spread in the room, and others soon followed. After a few silent seconds, they burst in laughing. Their stomachs were demanding attention, so they headed down to fulfill them.

The atmosphere during the meal was quite relaxing, but Shadow was deep in thoughts. He was sure this kidnapping wasn't a random occurrence, but it was deliberately planned. He was sure she might be still in danger, so he decided to visit her parents tomorrow morning.

He hoped he would be heard out. That way he could find out more about her fiance, situation and what had led to her escape. It wouldn't be an easy task he was sure with that. When he found her, he should have informed her parents she was with him, but she made him so busy he had no time to do so.

After the meal, Amy headed to her room. This adventure left her drained, so it was no surprise she wanted to go to sleep earlier. Sonic and Shadow also retreated to their room. The boy was reading the Holy Book while Shadow counted the money. The future days looked gloomy. With Sonic he could stay in this town for about a week, but since Amy joined them, it was shortened to three days.

'I really have to find some income. But how?' He was thinking about it, but he had no idea. He never did anything else than teaching about the Lord. He doubted any family would hire him. He had no background or benefactor to speak for him. 'Well, I can always use my strength for labor. I think it's not that bad.'

The fight with those thugs surprised him. He moved so fast, and his hits were swift. He was sure the adrenaline paid a huge part in it but still, he lifted about a ton of living weight. The fatigue also didn't last for too long. He was more tired from pushing the voice back. As he thought about it, he decided to start looking for a job tomorrow once he would finish his visit to Amy's parents. He loudly sighed.

"Father Shadow, is something the matter?" asked him Sonic looking at him. He had clearly heard him counting the money, and the sigh couldn't be a good sign.

"It's nothing," he lied, angry at himself he let himself to be caught brooding. "I was just thinking I may show you how I patrol the city."

"Really?" A big smile appeared on his face. "Will you show me how to get rid of demons?" He jumped down from the chair, clenching fists in an excited manner.

"Haha, nothing so extreme, I suppose it will be more like taking a stroll. But you never know what surprise may await on the road ahead," he calmly explained, but Sonic's reaction was just so honest it made him feel better.

"Okay," the boy answered, and there was a hint of a letdown in his voice. He returned the book on its place and followed Shadow outside of the inn.

The sun was gone for a while, and so only street lamps and stars with moon were providing any light. This part of the city was quiet, but just above the streets near the center, one could tell the real life was beginning. While they walked, Shadow asked some questions from the book, and Sonic answered them correctly in most cases.

Shadow's nose cringed as it inhaled. _'Amy?'_ he asked himself as he smelled her nearby. He carefully looked around, inspecting the space around.

"Want some?" The blue hedgehog offered him a cookie he took out of a small bag he hid in his new shorts.

"Ah, thank you." He accepted it, taking a small bite. 'O _f course. Amy's smell is lingering on the cookies and Sonic's new clothes.'_ That made him feel relieved. One kidnapping was enough.

However, he had no idea there was indeed somebody secretly following them. This person's eyes were watching their backs as they were walking.


	24. Rose & Thorns (8-8)

If Shadow knew, who this somebody was, he would do a serious spanking for the first time in his life. It was none other but Amy, and it wasn't the scent from the cookies or the clothes Shadow caught up.

'Where are they leaving?' she asked herself. It's true she went to her room earlier and wanted to go to sleep. However, her mind was full of the memories, and she couldn't calm herself down. She again felt the wind in her quills when Sonic was holding her in his arms. Her heart pounded widely, as she reminded herself of her escape from her home. Shortly after that, she had met Shadow who saved her from guards. Never in her life, she had such exciting day like now.

As the sleep eluded her, she decided to watch from a window. That's when she noticed Shadow and Sonic left the inn. At the spur of the moment, she quickly followed them. 'They stalked me earlier, so this is payback time,' she snickered in her mind. She did her best to keep quiet, and she always waited a bit before she peeked in the street they went to.

This way she lost them after a couple of turns. "Oh girl, did they have such hard time too?" she silently mumbled. Her knees started to shake a bit, and she quickly looked into a street next to her. It was empty. Amy checked the next one, and when there was nobody in it too, she returned a bit. The pink lass checked another street, but this one seemed the same way as the others.

She stopped, feeling a cold shiver running down her spine. The area around her was silent. She didn't hear a voice. The closest street lamp light flickered.

"Hehe, feels like a ghost could pop out any time now." She tried to lighten her mood, as clouds slowly shrouded the moon, making the world darker. "I better should head back to the inn, or Sonic will laugh at me for being so clumsy." The pink hedgehog turned back, not knowing which way she was going.

Amy had no idea there was a bigger danger than a group of kidnappers lurking nearby. Because in that case, she might have never left her room.

Above the rooftops was a moving figure, it was agile and on all fours. From time to time it lifted its head to inspect the smells in the air. It was nobody else but Eclipse the Demon. He arrived in this city and decided to turn it into his hunting ground. There were enough mortals to help him fulfill his double quota. His swift body stopped on its tracks.

He tensed up, as his nostrils sucked the air. 'This smell…' For some reason it was familiar, yet he had no idea why. There was no danger coming from it either, so he decided to follow it. After a good night rest and some light meals, he felt refreshed. He gained confidence in hunting living prey, and thus he left his new hideout, leaving his pets behind.

For a moment he halted to stretch his wings. The new one was still a bit sore, however, it no longer hurt. Unfortunately, a long-distance flight was still impossible, but gliding was no problem. He sniffed around, finding the right direction in under five seconds.

Big cities were full of different smells, and some areas made his head dizzy. He personally preferred less densely populated cities, but there was one thing he loved about big towns. The buildings were close to each other, and the streets were spreading as far as eyes could see. It was like a big labyrinth, providing him with endless possibilities for finding dining corner.

His stomach rumbled a bit, and he had to swallow the saliva in his mouth. The sweet aroma was close, and so his appetite was growing. It was too long since he had raw meat. No matter how quality it was, he wasn't intending to leave a single drop of blood behind. There was no time to be picky, but given the strength of the smell, this prey was going to be delicious. He stopped at the rooftop edge and looked down. 'It's here!' His heart jumped with happiness. 'A small girl!'

His target was none other than Amy. She was walking slowly, nervous as she fully realized she got completely lost.

Eclipse gulped, his meal after a long time would be so tasty and from his TOP Five list. 'Perfect! She will fill my quota quite a lot!' He grinned and slowly climbed down. The last meters he jumped down, and his claws scratched the cobblestones.

The girl's ears twitched, and she stopped. The smell of fear thickened around her, just like Eclipse wanted. The demon waited for her to partly turn around before he dashed forward to grab her. Her blue eyes widen and, she gasped as he rammed her body, tucking her under his armpit.

Amy saw the pavement to get further and further. The arm was tightly holding her, and her limbs were dangling down. She looked up to see a serrated grin plastered on Eclipse's face.

His strong claws crawled the wall, finally getting above the roof, from where he jumped into the air. His wings spread and took the wind inside, gliding away. He wanted to bring her home for his pets to feast on living prey for the first time.

The pink lass couldn't hold it anymore, and she screamed. The demon jerked, losing altitude.

The scream flew far away, reaching two particular hedgehogs.

"Amy?" shouted Shadow and Sonic in unison, as they couldn't overhear that. Their bodies froze, looking into each other eyes for a second.

The ebony hedgehog priest turned around. While it seemed the voice sounded from more directions, he was sure it came from behind. He clenched his fists, and without any hesitation, he ran forward.

"Was that really Amy?" asked Sonic running by his side.

"Let's hope not!" he barked, but he had no doubt it was her. _'What trouble she got into now?'_

In the midair, Eclipse was trying to shut her up by pressing her head down. However, Amy overcame the first shock, and her stubborn nature kicked in.

"Stop squirming!" shouted at her Eclipse. She had just two hands, but it felt like there was a dozen of them as she was constantly waving with them. He muffled her mouth in an attempt to stop her from yelling once more, but that was a mistake.

Without hesitation, she bit him. "Ouch!" the demon yelped, jerking his hand back. Whoever heard of mortal eating demon? It was supposed to go the other way around. He had no time to ponder about it as her hand invaded his mouth, pulling his lip down.

That made him lose the altitude even more, and they hit the roof. His ribs hurt since his body, unfortunately, worked as a cushion for her. "You little…!" he barked at her and slapped her with a back of his hand. That hit paralyzed her a bit, and he used this chance to get back into the air.

However, Eclipse had more trouble to hold her now as she turned even more aggressive. At this rate, he would lose her. As he was fencing with her arms, he noticed a tall clock tower. With a big flap of his wings and a bit of twitch in his face since that motion reminded him of his left regrown wing, he headed there.

He landed on a thick railing, ready to get a proper hold of her. Unfortunately, he too late realized her stubborn nature was kicking in literal meaning, as his jaw met Amy's sole.

He yelped as he bit his tongue, falling on the floor, and to make it worse there was a lifted stone. It figured his wounded wing would land on it. He shrieked, mumbling one curse after another, but it was harder to catch them as he had a hard time to pronounce any word.

Amy wasn't waiting for him, and she started to crawl away, staying on the railing. Her heart was widely beating, her body covered in sweat, and her limbs decided to turn weak. _'M-Move it!'_ She had no idea who or what Eclipse was, but a voice in her head, she had no idea she had, was yelling at her this creature was much worse news than those kidnappers.

She was moving forward despite there was no point in it. She just needed to run. A strong growl behind her made her turn around.

Eclipse was on his legs, making the first step toward her. His face was twisted with anger, and his yellow eyes with split pupil were focused on her. Suddenly, everything turned slow and quiet. For some reason, there was a shock on his face as he was reaching to Amy.

' _Why is the sky spinning?'_ Amy asked in her mind, feeling wind in her quills. Her feet hit something, and her body turned upside down. She blankly stared at the pavement below her. Only then she realized she fell off the clock tower. She screamed as the cold stones were getting closer.

"Oh, crap!" Eclipse cursed, climbing over the railing. She was too tasty looking to let her turn into minced meat. His wings twitched as he folded them and his face winced. He dived right after her, hoping to catch her before she hit the ground.

He stretched his arms. He knew he might not avoid the meeting with the pavement, but he still could protect himself from the worst. He was just an inch from her when her body was gone in a blue flash. "What-?" His head turned in the direction it flew, completely forgetting to cushion his fall first.

His body slammed into the ground with full speed. It bounced back as he shrieked, and rolled into a ball. He dug claws into his shoulder and felt his head spinning, half of it engulfed in burning pain.

"M-My body…" he silently murmured. Just when he got better, he had to hurt himself more. At this rate, he would never get better much less to fulfill his quota. He gnawed on his lip, forcefully getting on all fours. His eyes searched for the pink girl. He hoped she hadn't gotten too far. He had to squint since his vision was blurry, and the headache wasn't making it any better.

His sight had fallen on standing figure about ten meters away. In its arms was Amy. "Y-You!" the demon barked, and his body shivered. How could he forget about that annoying prey that made a fool out of him? However, Eclipse's body didn't start shaking because of seeing Sonic.

His nose caught one more smell coming from behind him. The demon's teeth chattered despite his jaw was tightly closed. It was like the fear vibrated with his whole body. His skin bristled even when it was made of scales. He was afraid to look back as he heard heavy steps to stop behind him.

"So you are still alive," Shadow said after he took a breath.

The small demon shrieked, jumped at the wall and climbed up on the roof. The intense panic overwhelmed his mind, filling it to the brim. He ignored all the pain and tried to get away as fast and far as possible.

"Take Amy to the inn!" the priest shouted at Sonic who nodded and headed there. Shadow stopped paying them attention as dealing with the demon was his top priority now. _'How did it survive?'_ he asked, and a stream of blurry memories filled his brain. He quickly pushed them back. There was so much he didn't want to remember.

At first, Shadow was pursuing Eclipse from the ground, but he soon realized he would lose the demon that way. His dark eyes glanced a narrow corridor. He took a sharp turn, and by jumping from wall to a wall, he got above the roofs. There he quickly found the escaping fiend.

Eclipse was chaotically dashing forward. His limbs were moving in an unsynchronized way, resulting in tumbling over his own legs and arms. Not just once he had lost balance. In front of him was a street, and as he tried to jump over the gap, he stumbled over his legs. He slammed into the wall with his face. He barely folded his arms, and the landing on the pavement caused him new bruises.

The left shoulder-blade started to burn, reminding him of his past experience. 'I… have to get away!' he muttered in his mind with a shaky voice as he was wobbly standing up. Gone were his thoughts about revenge, all he wanted was to flee and hide.

"You won't escape this time!" growled at him Shadow who jumped down. He had finally caught up with him. He wished he had his gun with him. That way he would finish the demon with one strike. Now he needed to break his neck to make it quick. Shadow's fingers twitched, and a sense of excitement filled his mind.

"N-No! Stay back!" The demon begged him. His limbs moved in chaotic motion, so he mostly stayed in one place.

The priest didn't hesitate and grabbed the long tail, slamming the small demon into the wall. Eclipse shrieked as his wings were once more exposed to intense pain. The plaster on the wall cracked, and a wide web ran in all directions. Shadow slashed with the demon's body one more, smashing him against the other wall.

A strong gasped escaped from the small body. Burning flames filled his lungs. The world turned dark for a brief moment. His body slid at the ground, bringing him back to his senses. There was hardly a place on his body that wasn't sore or in pain. He felt his tail fell down of Shadow's hands. Without a thought he dashed forward, ignoring his body screamed with agony. He gradually disappeared in the back alleys.

Eclipse had no idea what set him free was a demonic voice in Shadow's head. Once he swung with his body for the second time, it returned with greater strength. The priest let go of the demon, grasping his own head. The voice was never so strong or intense it would cause him a migraine.

He wobbly moved from one side to another, crashing into walls, bouncing from them to hit them with his forehead. He bit his lip until it bled, and on his forehead, he soon got a bruise. However, nothing was silencing the menacing voice. It was yelling at him to rip that small demon apart and to feast on his beating heart.

Shadow was opening his mouth like a fish on a ground. He tried to breathe, but his lungs were unable to take any air inside. It was like they were paralyzed and squeezed by ice-cold fingers. His mind was flooded with a bloody mess. Torn bodies were everywhere, and the houses around were burning. A deafening howl could be heard.

To Shadow's shock that roar wasn't part of that image, but it was his own voice. The only good thing it brought was snapping out his lungs out of the paralysis. They were hungrily swallowing the air. He quickly moved forward with the voice refusing to be pushed back.

His black pupils were shaking, looking for some way to escape this pain. He stumbled upon a trash can and bags around it. His eyes fell down toward a shining surface. Somebody threw out a mirror with a broken frame. The priest made a step forward to see his reflection.

"Ah… Ah…" His voice was broken from the roar he was no longer able to scream. His boy twitched as his brain perceived the reflection. His eyes turned crimson red, and stripes of the same color appeared on his quills. He dug his fingers in his quills, pulling out the blood-red stings. He quickly dropped them realizing claws ripped holes in his gloves.

He hugged himself, noticing the wings under the bandages were burning, and he would swear they got larger. His body was overcome with uncontrollable trembling. He jerked his body, slamming it into a corner with his back.

The voice refused to stay quiet, and maybe that was the reason Shadow was able to forget about it as he got used to its constant nagging. His claws ripped the cloth of his cowl, feeling the bandage under it. His body moved forward, searching for a place to calm down. At the edge of his mind, he felt the cross around his neck was burning him.

Meanwhile, Eclipse overcame many streets, getting closer to the center of the city. There were nightclubs and from time to time somebody left or entered them, otherwise, the area in front of him was empty. He landed on one roof, sliding down, almost falling down. His lungs demanded a proper amount of air, so he had to stop.

He had no idea how far he had gotten, but Eclipse knew he no longer could stay in this city. _'Was he searching for me? How did he find me?'_ he whispered in his mind to scared to think any louder. He hugged his trembling chest. The adrenaline was slowly escaping from his body. He listened to the city, but except usual sounds, there was nothing deviating. He let out a long sigh.

"I… got away…" he whispered with a shivering voice. His teeth started to chatter, so he clenched them tightly. _'I have to return to my-'_ His thought was cut short as something heavy landed just a few steps behind him. His body froze as panic flooded his body.


	25. Silver Darkness (1-10)

It wasn't just Shadow or Eclipse having a bad evening. There was one more person wandering the empty streets. It was the exorcist, Silver the Hedgehog, who tracked down the black hedgehog here. He now wore more civil clothes consisting of a white shirt and light brown pants, to not give his occupation away. He was alone with his thoughts and plans swirling in his mind.

There was no way they would somehow get the information if the fake priest was still in this city or not. He would need to ask the local branch for help. Such action could alert other agents, and he was sure, more than half of them would be happy to get in his way or to snatch his target under his nose. The silver psychic snorted, feeling annoyed. He scanned the wider street he was walking down.

It wasn't overly clean either dirty it was just a way through the city. If he wouldn't be moody, he would appreciate the lamps were maintained as neither had broken bulb. Their structure was painted by gray colors, and it had a shiny feel. Under each lamp was a small pot with flowers which were taken care of too. Along the walls were also bigger flower pots that gave this street lovely feel.

The pavement was properly stoned, so it was almost flat. The plasters around had some dirt on them, but no house was damaged, and the windows had decorated frames. His trained eyes spotted a cafe and sweet shop, and his nose told him the delicious smell didn't leave yet. It lifted his grumpy mood for just a split of a second, as he pushed the thought of finding open cafe out of his brain.

His ears pricked as he heard running water. It was coming from behind, and it was water running in a small fountain. This city was full of small centers, and each had something big in the middle. The one he had passed a few steps ago had round fountain that was damaged on a few places. However, it was still in working shape, and the steams of water were pushed toward the sky to rain down into the bowls, creating multiple waterfalls. It wasn't like he paid it any attention, he just wanted to take his mind off the priest for a bit. To give his brain a moment to recuperate, before kicking it back to work.

His mood sunk once more. There were too many unknown factors. This whole time he was pondering where to start his search. He couldn't decide if Shadow was hiding in the center or near the city border. Both options were valid, after all, the best hiding place for a tree is in the forest. He bit his lip since his mind ventured back to a small thought.

Before he decided to take this stroll, he started to play with an idea of asking for help. There was actually a way to do it without raising big suspicious. He only needed to phrase it the right way. It wasn't a rare occurrence to search for witnesses. This priest happened to be one, and since this case happened to be serious, he didn't want to startle him.

He still needed to work out some details, but this could work. _'Yeah, I think I can do this.'_ He smirked. This way he would also make Gold happy. On their way here she talked with him about this, but he kept refusing to get help.

And speaking of his partner, Gold was sleeping in their temporal home. She had no idea he had left. It wasn't like he wouldn't inform her, but when he got up, he was grumpy and had zero interest in any kind of conversation. So he was glad the tenrec was already in the bed. But at least his mood improved a bit as he walked the silent streets.

His ears suddenly twitched. _'What was that?'_ He immediately pressed his body against the wall, moving slowly forward. His trained instincts were sharp and accurate. His keen hearing allowed him to estimate enemy's location in about fifty meters radius. This time his ears picked horse sounds, heavy steps, and loud gasping.

' _Is someone coming closer?'_ He carefully jumped over one pot, silently touching the ground. This person was very loud, and even a normal person would hear him or her by now. Silver sniffed the air and picked up a faint smell of blood. His fur bristled as he stopped just behind the cover.

He quickly scanned the area of small center with a big tree in the middle. Around it were benches and somebody was in front of the tree on knees. The psychic snarled since he too well recognized the sounds of hurling. _'So it was some drunk idiot,'_ he thought with a disdain.

However, he waited for this person to stand up. Something was familiar to him, and as the man slowly straightened himself, Silver clenched his fists and bared his teeth. _'That fake priest!'_ His blood was boiling.

Shadow spat the rest of saliva on the ground. As far as he could remember, he never felt so miserable. The voice was hunting him for long minutes, and the bloody scenes caused his stomach to throw everything out. His ebony body was covered by sweat, and his legs were trembling.

The priest leaned against the tree with his right shoulder, taking deep breaths. He still felt gastric juice in his mouth. He swallowed the sour taste as his throat was dry. With another deep inhale he realized the voice was gone. _'But for how long?'_ He clenched his body, digging fingers into his sides.

He felt despair was taking over him when some hand touched his left shoulder. His dark eyes shot open, and he bit his tongue to stop any scream from escaping. He pivoted, pushing the arm away and jumping back. The fear in Shadow's face was soon switched with a shock.

"Uah!" shouted a young man as he landed on his butt. His long and silver quills swayed in the air. He rubbed his backside, and two big amber eyes were full of fear.

"Ah, I-I'm sorry!" The black hedgehog quickly apologized, realizing he almost hit an innocent citizen. He quickly offered him his hand. "Are you alright?"

The young man accepted it with a small smile. "That's alright, mister priest. I have approached you so suddenly. Anyone would be surprised." This gentleman was nobody else but Silver the Hedgehog who was fuming a few seconds ago. He completely changed his personality to creep up on his target without raising any suspicion. "B-But I really need your help, mister priest!" the psychic quickly babbled.

"Speak your mind, son." Shadow felt a certain calmness filled his mind. It felt he could forget about his trouble and be true to his beliefs. However, there was a strange smell coming from this young man. However, he had no idea how to describe it.

"My good friend is dying. Please, listen to his last words." Agent's ears went down in a submissive manner. Small tears appeared in corner of his eyes.

"Of course, show me the way." He eagerly accepted his invitation making the other's ears perk up.

"Thank you!" The young man's face turned brighter. He gestured to the priest to follow him. However, after a dozen steps the young man started to stutter: "I… I…" For some reason, he had a hard time to speak his mind.

"What's the matter?" Shadow asked. "You don't need to be afraid. I will hear you out." He wondered if he wasn't nervous because Shadow pushed him before.

"I'm just bad… with people…" Silver halfway turned back, "and my friend is on the other side of the city." He made a slight pause, playing with his finger. "So… going through the center is a bit… There are some nightclubs and… would you mind going underground? This city has beautiful catacombs. It will make our journey shorter," he sounded happier, but there was uncertainty in his voice.

The black hedgehog smiled. "I surely don't mind. I have heard about them and wished to see them."

Silver made a cheerful smile. "Thank you, the nearest entrance is this way." The psychic caught Shadow's hand and dragged him behind himself.

The priest somehow felt there was something wrong as the grasp was strong. He convinced himself it was because this young man was desperate. Soon they stopped in front of an iron door.

The young man took a key, opened it, and they entered a new world. At the entrance, he took a torch and lit it, and as they walked, he explained, "This place was built a few years after this small village was expanded into a big town to provide shelter and escape routes in the case of invasion."

"How sophisticated," the priest noted, rubbing his wrist. The stone corridors were in good condition, so even now it was maintained.

"I agree, if you notice the text, those are secret messages telling how to navigate here."

Shadow quickly examined the wall next to him. "Whoever designed this place must have been a wise man." He felt one text with his finger, though it was a bit illegible. The strange feeling refused to leave him. He slightly shook his head, trying to push it away.

"Yeah, I and my friend were exploring this place many times since we were children. I can still remember my parents getting angry at me every time." He snickered.

"I can imagine that. All parents are worried about their children." For some reason, the priest still felt the uneasiness, and with each step, it was getting stronger. Shadow pushed it back, trying his best to ignore it, he was sure it was the voice trying to sneak up on him again.

They walked for a short while until they arrived in big open space illuminated by bluish light coming from crystals. "How beautiful," the priest gasped, he had never seen anything like that. His eye twitched as his vision got momentary blurry. He pressed the temple to ease the pain in his head. 'Go away you unclean voice!'

"Do you want to see something awesome?" The exorcist looked at him with excitement in his eyes. "Please, stand here." Silver pushed him into the center of a medium-sized circle without waiting on Shadow's answer.

"I don't mind, but your friend…" He felt electricity running through his toes. What was wrong with this place?

The silver hedgehog looked slightly low-spirited. "I know, but," he made a tired smile, "he would never forgive me if I would skip the best part of this place."

Shadow smiled as well. "He must be a really dear friend." Silver nodded in response, but Shadow couldn't understand why there was a dangerous feel coming from the young man's smile.

"Yes, that's true." Silver walked away, and when he was about a dozen steps away, he asked, "By the way, do you recognize this?" While showing him his back, he lifted in the air a silver gun.

The ebony hedgehog froze. "That looks like- Ghaa!" he screamed as sudden pain filled his body. His body was in one flame, and his teeth chattered. He forced his head to look at his torso. Shining chains spurted from a magical circle on the ground and bound him.

The circle itself was a small part of a complex inscription. It was spread across the whole room, and the amount of text suggested it was not just powerful, but it was laid by many priests in the past. Shadow's mind vaguely understood this must have been the reason for his uneasiness, but the brain was too preoccupied with the perception of pain to formulate actual thought.

The priest tensed up his muscles and tried to break free. However, the chains didn't budge a bit. His back was in one flame, and he felt his wings were jerking. The voice in his mind returned, and it was screaming, howling, and roaring. Shadow noticed his mouth was open, but he was unsure if any of the cries were his.

Silver's face was emotionless, but his eyes were full of delight. "Finally, I have got you. You eluded me for too long," he said in a cold voice.

"What..." the priest gasped barely talking, "Have we... met?" His body was shivering, burning from inside.

The agent of The Order grinned. "No, otherwise you wouldn't follow me so willingly." There was a clear sign the psychic felt sadistic pleasure from Shadow's pain as Silver was watching him like a predator.

"Then why…?" he asked in a husky voice. He leaned forward and noticed the chains tightened their grasp. He felt his ribs might snap at this rate. Shadow wasn't able to properly breathe.

"Silence, you fake priest! You will only answer my questions!" Barked the psychic. The aura around him turned deadly.

The priest was full of fear. For a moment it drowned the voice in his head. However, it was back in the next second. It was becoming stronger and stronger he had a hard time to hear what Silver was saying.

"Now, tell me who you are!" the psychic commanded him as he made a few steps forward.

With a hoarse voice, the priest slowly answered: "I… I'm Shadow the Hedgehog, a priest…" A strong and pulsating headache was taking over his brain. It was like somebody was beating his head with a big hammer.

"Liar! You aren't a priest!" the agent barked back. He was angry, but also happy. His prey was powerless and scared, quaking like a leaf. Silver's eyes fell on the cross around ebony hedgehog's neck. "Scum like you don't deserve to wear this!" He made a few strides, grabbing it.

"N-No! Don't take it off!" The black hedgehog priest was panicking, feeling this was the only thing keeping the voice from completely taking over his body. "Please!"

The psychic smirked and tore the necklace off. His pleasure lasted only for a brief moment, as an absurd rise of demonic power engulfed the prisoner's body. The young hedgehog jumped back since Shadow's body was consumed by green flames turning him into a shadowy figure.

"Wha- How's that possible?" he yelled.

The chains were breaking one by one. The air around him shook and was suddenly hot. His eyes darted toward the cross in his hand, feeling a faint warmness coming from inside. "Was this a seal?"

The last chains were broken with a loud bellow. Silver's body jerked, and he dropped the cross. The psychic instinctively created a psionic layer around his body. He managed it in the last second as Shadow leaped from the flames. A strong blow was dealt, and young agent's body was pushed back. However, Silver managed to still stay on his legs.

His eyes widen when he noticed how much Shadow changed. Hideous horns, third eye, red fur and markings, yellow sclera with red glowing eyes, dragon wings and a long tail could mean only one thing.

"So, you never were a person…" Silver snapped and avoided another punch, "but a demon from the beginning!" This option never crossed his mind, and that made him more furious.

Shadow roared, and the whole place resonated, echoing it back for a long time. The psychic flew backward, avoiding his slashing attacks.

"You unclean fiend! How dare you to impersonate a holy man!" He formed lances with his power behind himself and fired them. "Begone!"

The demonic priest didn't avoid them he cut them with his hands engulfed in green flames, crashing the energy. This attack meant nothing to him. Throwing toothpicks might have a bigger impact.

Silver hissed, "Impossible!" This attack always killed his target, not to mention no one was able to deflect it… until now. The ebony demon swiftly rammed into the stunned agent, pinning him to the wall with his hands.

The psychic put up his defense, keeping the claws away from his neck. _'This raw power… it's insane!'_ A streak of sweat appeared on his forehead. His amber pupils were shaking, staring right back into the red ones. For the first time, the young agent felt he might die.


	26. Silver Darkness (2-10)

The thoughts about his own death made Silver furious. "You… danged creature!" He quickly formed and threw new lances at the demonic priest, and this time they pierced him since the demon was hardly paying any attention to surroundings.

The sudden pain forced him to release the grip, backing down, and taking the lances out demon's first priority. Silver gained time to catch a breath and making some distance between them.

He frowned, analyzing the behavior of his enemy. "It is just like a wild animal. It isn't thinking it only acts upon instinct," he mumbled to himself. That was good if not, he would be in big trouble. _'I have to finish this now!'_

He concentrated all his energy in one ball. Shadow got rid of the last lance, not minding his body was turned into a pin cushion. However, it seemed Shadow had a fast and strong healing ability. It was something the young psychic hadn't come across in his whole career. _'I have to kill it in one strike!'_

The demon sniffed and turned toward the exorcist. In Silver's hands was a small sparkling ball. The demonic priest roared, and his toe claws dug into the ground. The web of cracks spread meters away, disrupting the inscription that was slowly losing its power.

"Begone!" Silver shouted, firing the ball. The ball itself was small, but it was packed with pure condensed energy. The three-eyed demon roared and slashed the orb with his claws. The energy inside was shattered, exploding upon coming in contact with the demon. The psychic knelt, creating a pulsing shield, protecting himself from the shock wave.

The air shook, and many cracks appeared on the walls. It almost seemed the explosion could create a cave in, but Silver made sure to not be so careless. However, he was sure the people on the surface could experience very light earthquake if they noticed it at all.

Silver's amber eyes were focusing in front of himself. The ball was strong enough to rip any demon into shreds and spread the leftovers meters away. The echo of the explosion prevented him from hearing a thing, and the clouds of dust completely hidden the area around him. However, he was still sure he had got the demon this time as there was no movement even after ten seconds.

He lowered his shield, slowly standing up. "I have got—Ugh!" His body was suddenly pinned to the wall. The psychic's vision got blurry as he hit his head. On top of it, he saw flashing objects for a brief moment, and that didn't help him at all. He squinted his eyes, baring his teeth as the demon was in front of him.

Shadow was like the tallest of the mountains that came at him like the roughest of waves. He was an incarnation of the toughest of terrors and the darkest days of the mankind in one.

The young hedgehog felt shivers to run through his whole body, but he refused to give in. He gnawed on his lip to release his frustration. Silver grabbed the demonic arm with his psionic power, pushing it slightly back. He was tired, but his determined to fight back was stronger.

Unfortunately, his aura started to decay under the demon's pressure. _'Is his power so strong it makes mine rot?'_ he thought angrily, realizing he might have no chance of winning. He pushed those thoughts back, focusing on the problem at the hand, or more precisely, around his neck. He succeeded in pushing the claws back a bit, but the main body didn't budge.

'How powerful is he!' He screamed in his mind as the claws got closer despite his best effort to push them back.

As the hardheaded psychic was experiencing his toughest fight, Gold the Tenrec suddenly woke up from her slumber. Her body jerked, almost robbing her of air, leaving her for a few seconds gasping. Her nightgown was soaked in sweat.

"S… Silver!" she loudly called him, feeling darkness was approaching her partner. She spurted from the room, stumbling over her own feet. She burst into Silver's bedroom, quickly glancing over the place. Nobody was there. "No… No… Where is he?"

Her body started to shook once she entered a panic state, she had problems to keep her composure. "I have to… find him!" She turned on her heel, rushing to the door, throwing over shoulders her all the time favorite cape and dashed out.

]Silver![ she called him in her mind, but he hadn't answered. 'Don't tell me he is…' She bit her lip as she was running through streets, looking at all sides. If she knew how reckless Silver was in the last minutes, she would probably kill him on the spot… unless the demon wouldn't get ahead of her.

Her partner Silver felt the calling inside of his head, but he was too far from her to hear the words clearly. Not to mention, he was pouring his whole concentration into keeping his neck intact. 'How can I die here?' The young demon exterminator pushed harder. However, he felt the demon hadn't used all of his power yet.

Shadow's eyes shined, and his claws become covered by thin layer of green flames. The claws cut through the shield like it was butter, finally getting a firm grasp over Silver's neck.

The young psychic was taken aback, and his body was pushed deeper into the wall. He gasped for air, but he felt his lungs had a hard time to inhale. He looked into Shadow's burning eyes as his body was lifted.

The demonic priest slowly tightened his grip, robbing the struggling psychic of air. The silver hedgehog got desperate, and he kicked him in the head, but it was no use. He knew he was wasting his energy, however, his brain couldn't concentrate, making his psionic powers useless. _'D-Dang...'_ the young agent cursed in his mind.

Shadow prepared his other arm. Its claws were engulfed by green flames, and there was no doubt where the priest wanted to strike. Silver wriggled in his grasp, feeling his consciousness was slipping away.

The room was filled with a bellow, and the psychic's body suddenly fell on the cold ground. Silver hit his head, but he ignored the pain as his lungs were hungrily gulping the air. He lifted his amber eyes, seeing it wasn't the demon's mercy, but a shinning ball was repulsing the demonic priest.

' _Is that... that cross?'_ he asked in his mind, recognizing its shape.

The cross was floating in the air, emitting pulsing rays. Silver didn't think that light was powerful, but it managed to force Shadow to back up until he hit the wall.

The demon was constantly loudly growling, slashing light with his claws. However, all of his attempts only caused him pain, and his skin started to burn as smoke was emitting from his whole body. Shadow rolled to escape it, but the cross followed him. The demon kept running away, entering one of the four corridors leading out.

Silver wobbly stood up, chasing after him at incredibly slow pace. He heard the demon's roar was fading. "I can't… let it run away." He was holding his side all the time, using the wall to support himself. When he reached the exit, Shadow was long gone. "Mmmm…" he muffled, before letting out his own roar. He crashed his tightened fist into the wall, making it bleed a bit.

Somewhere else, another figure was running for its life, and it was Eclipse. Just a few seconds ago he thought he had escaped, but at the same moment, somebody appeared right behind him. A fear overcame his body, and he was unable to move. His skin, despite the lack of fur, bristled as he felt an arm reaching for him.

With the purest desperation, he slashed that arm with his tail and made the longest jump he had ever done. His claws dug into the clay roof tiles, leaving deep marks before he dashed forward. He heard that person behind him, but he was too terrified to even glance back.

His small heart was pumping like crazy. The blood was rushing into the farthest corners of his body, but such intense flow couldn't last for long. His breath got gradually shorter, and his limbs felt like they were made of lead. The adrenaline gave him enough power to run forward, however, he wasn't paying much attention to his surroundings, and he tumbled on one roof.

He shrieked as he rolled down, crash landing in the middle of a street. The air gushed out from lungs, leaving him gasping, but what more, he lost the momentum the only thing that protected him. Stars were dancing in front of him, and he reached forward in futile attempt to escape. When he was lifted, he weakly shouted in a hoarse voice: "No, let me go! Spare me!"

"What's up with you, pipsqueak!" barked a deep woman voice.

Eclipse stopped moving, and his eyes shot open. He knew that voice. He turned his head, not believing his eyes. "Crestia-sis?" he mumbled as it wasn't Shadow as he feared.

"Who did you expect?" she asked annoyed. "Geez, man up." She tossed him on the stone tiled ground, and he landed on a rear end.

Eclipse rubbed his butt and backed down a bit. He was a bit scared of his older sister, and it wasn't just because she was at least half head taller. Her skin had a lot smaller amount of black scales, but the red ones were crimson and darker.

Her body was bulkier, sporting more muscular form. The pair of ram horns was her pride and a strong mean of defense and offense. The mace-like tail was another of her strong weapons. There was hardly any material that could withstand the impact.

Unlike most demons, who had just a few thick quills, she had a lot of straight ones. Her claws as well weren't for decoration, and her favorite pass-time activity was poking little Eclipse with them. At least that was what she was doing a lot in the past.

At first glance, she seemed to be collected, but in reality, her temper had short fuse, very short one in case of taunting. However, whoever tried that never did it again for either learning to fear her or almost biting the dust under her mighty fists. Her short temper often overtook her on the battlefields too, turning her into a deadly enemy.

While Eclipse was scared of her too, he was happy he met her and not the priest. He let out a loud and long sigh. He could also feel his heart calmed down a bit.

"What's with you?" she barked, and he jerked. "Did you saw a monster or something?" she asked in a mocking tone.

If her younger brother had ears, he would flop them now. He silently answered, "I did."

Crestia winked and leaned a bit down, not sure what she had just heard. "Come again?" She put her hands on the sides, raising her eyebrow, or more likely that muscle above right eye as there was no fur or hair on her body.

How could a demon be afraid of a monster? They were the worst monsters after all. Crestia looked closer at him, and he tugged his head between shoulders. It took her only a few moments before she started to giggle. Soon enough Crestia had to hold her stomach as the burst of laughter shook with her whole body.

"Oh, pipsqueak," she called him by a nickname she gave him and patted his head in overly cute manner. "Did your own shadow startle you?" She squatted, but she was still an inch or two taller than him.

Eclipse silently growled. He hated how she called him, and he knew she was making fun of him. In the past years, there wasn't an opportunity she would pass. Despite her looking down on him, Eclipse respected her and hoped to one day obtain the strength of her level.

She smiled, showing her bear trap-like teeth, and said, "Don't worry, your big sis will take care of it." The demoness stood up, turned away and started to walk in a random direction.

Eclipse's body was once more covered by cold sweat. No matter how much he disliked how she treated him, he didn't want her to meet that priest. Without a second thought, he grabbed her arm, loudly whispering, "No, don't go!"

Crestia stopped. "Wha?" She had no problem to free herself, and the motion sent Eclipse on his butt once more. "Geez, you weakling!" Now she was starting to get angry at him. He was a demon, yet he acted like a mortal. They were at the top of food chain for dang sake! Her youngest brother was such a disgrace.

"He will kill you!" he hurriedly added, pleading her with his eyes not to go.

Crestia inhaled the air around her baby brother. At first, she thought he was just scared for some stupid reason. However, the terror in his eyes wasn't faked neither came from a trivial matter. She slightly smirked. _'Maybe he met some strong opponent,'_ she thought.

"I can take anyone!" She clenched her fist, tensing her muscles. There was no doubt she had great confidence regarding her strength. What more, it was a long time since she had met somebody worth of the challenge.

"Not this one," Eclipse insisted, and once more he grabbed her arm. His small body started to shake as he did his best to push the horrible memories away. "He is terrifying! He will kill you! He ripped my wing like nothing!" he cried, hoping to change his sister's mind.

A spark of intense anger appeared in her eyes, she grabbed her brother, turning him around. He yelped as he was still sore, and the sudden movement caused pain to be shot across his whole body.

Crestia eyed his shoulder blades, examining them and finally noticing subtle differences. Around the left one were scales of lighter shade and scars could be seen. There was no doubt his wing was ripped off, but it managed to grow back. That was weird, as no demon ever recovered his ripped limbs as far as she could remember. However, she wasn't a thinker, so she easily forgot about this detail.

The demoness' blood was boiling, anything concerning wings could piss her off to another level. The reason was simple, just like the way she was thinking, as she had none, she was wingless. Many demons used to ridicule her for it until she silenced them with her fists.

With a muted growl she released her brother and turned away. "Wait here," she cracked her joints, baring her teeth to the max. "Gotta break face." Her voice was lacking any emotion, meaning she was gradually letting her bloodlust take control of her mind. She was ready to start a massacre. However, she didn't make three steps when Eclipse hugged her from behind. She twisted around her waist to see his face.

"Please, don't go! I'm begging you!" he pleaded with crying face. Crestia was shocked, she never saw a demon with such deep fear in eyes, including the demons she had beaten. They were scared of her, but Eclipse was horrified. "I'll give you my gathered energy! Anything! Just leave this city with me!"

Another alarm sounded in her head. She couldn't believe her own ears. The negative energy was super important for demons, so offering it like this was unimaginable. _'Who could just…'_ In this rare moment, she started to think, trying to form a strategy that wasn't so straightforward like Beat-it-a-lot.

"That black priest is too scary!" Eclipse shouted, letting his tears fall down.

Crestia's body tensed up as her eyes fell on a closing figure.


	27. Silver Darkness (3-10)

Before all this drama took place, Sonic and Amy were on run. The blue hedgehog took many sharp turns with ease. Normally he would be happy and boast about it to Father Shadow, but right now he was focusing on getting Amy to safety.

Once he spotted the inn, he headed to the window of their room. He had left it open because this was supposed to be a short night stroll and not a date with a demon.

The pink hedgehog girl had never let go of his neck, feeling her heart almost jumped out of her chest with each beat. Amy closed her blue eyes when he jumped into the window and held her breath. Sonic had to shake her a bit to make her open her eyes and let go of him.

Amy slowly touched the floor, having no feeling in her legs she immediately went weak in her knees. Only thanks to Sonic's fast reaction she didn't fall down. He helped her sit down on the bed. She clenched her fists, pressing them against her moving chest.

The adrenaline was slowly leaving her veins, and that provided a place for fear to creep inside. She curled up, feeling tears in her eyes. A gentle hand was patting her quills. It took her long minutes, but she finally calmed down, and her heartbeat returned to normal. "W-What was that?" she asked with a shaking voice. Forget about bandits and kidnappers this being was scarier.

"A demon from our town," Sonic silently answered, and then he looked toward the window, adding: "I thought he was dead." He got off the bed and Amy grabbed his T-shirt.

"Where are you going?"

He looked over his left shoulder. "I'm going to help Father Shadow. That demon is strong. Not even I was able to run away from him."

The pink lass shivered, the thought of staying alone scared her. "But you don't know where he is," she quickly said.

"With my speed, I can find him." He smiled at her, but he wasn't that confident.

This city was probably ten times bigger than the one he knew. He had no idea how long it would take, but he was determinate to do it anyway. Anything else was better than sitting and waiting.

Tears appeared in Amy's blue eyes. "But that's still dangerous!" She stood up on her weak legs. "What if you will get hurt?"

"I don't wanna hear it from you, idiot!" he barked angrier than he intended as he freed his clothes from her hand. "What was the deal anyway? Why couldn't you-" He stopped since her cheeks got covered by tears.

She quickly turned away, falling on her knees. She was ashamed and didn't want Sonic to see her like that. She bruised her knee, but that was the last thing that hurt her.

"Sorry," he quickly added, realizing he shouldn't say that. "You aren't an idiot."

Amy shook her head. "No, you are right," she mumbled through her tears. "I'm THE idiot!" The tears soaked the floor. "If I just listened to you, nothing of this would ever happen." She tried to wipe her eyes, but new tears kept falling down. "If I let my parents engage me if I was an obedient girl and let my parents direct my life if I wasn't such a burden..."

"You aren't a burden!" Sonic snapped, kneeling next to her so he could see her face. He put his hand on her shoulder before saying, "You may be a troublemaker, but you aren't a burden." He tried to use soothing tone, but he had no idea if he sounded that way.

"I..." he spoke in a weak voice, "I used to beat other kids in the orphanage. My parents suddenly died, and I couldn't take it. I was missing them so much I wanted for all of it to be just a bad dream. Some kids were making fun of me for it, so I kept beating them, or I was just breaking stuff around me."

His face turned a bit read. "Everybody started to call me troublemaker or a burden. Some adults tried to enducate..."

"Educate," she corrected him, and that made both crack a smile a bit.

"Yeah, something like that." He scratched under his nose. "Of course, I never listened to them. They acted all high and mighty it was so annoying as they could understand all my problems." He took a deep breath, continuing, "There wasn't a day I caused problems until a new priest arrived."

"It was Mister Shadow, right?" Amy provided her input, and he nodded.

"Yeah, he was the first person who wasn't looking at me like I was some dirt, or was pitying me. He didn't shout at me when I broke his fence. He actually praised my strength and smiled. It was really strange."

Sonic slightly grinned. "Since then he visited me and let me sleep in his church. He treated me like an equal. As the days went, he encouraged me in my running and even went with me on some adventures around the town."

"He is a wonderful person," Amy said after a short silence. "No wonder you are so worried about him." Amy was happy she was right about Mister Shadow.

"Yeah, he is an awesome adult."

The pink girl wiped the leftover tears, and Sonic helped her to sit on the bed. "I will go now to find Father Shadow," he said.

"Please, don't go!" She reached towards him but refrained from grabbing him.

"Don't worry." He showed her thumb up. "I'll find Father Shadow in a jiffy and be back before you know it." He tried to calm her.

"What if the demon will come after me again! Please stay!" Her voice was trembling. Her stomach was squeezed when she remembered how she almost died for the second time.

"Father Shadow will definitely get him this time!" Sonic only wished he would sound as confident as he wanted. The boy started to think a bit, realizing she might be right. This demon was after all still alive. He got away once he could do it again. Not to mention Amy was like a magnet for trouble. "Okay, I'll stay with you," he finally agreed and sat next to her. "Let's wait for Father to come back."

Amy's eyes shined, and she quickly moved next to him. The blue boy started to blush a bit, and so he averted his face, watching outside. The young lass lowered her head and hugged his arm. As the minutes in complete silence passed, she started to think.

This experience was scary, however, she felt something strange. She couldn't describe it, but this demon reminded her of somebody or something. She wondered if she hadn't seen any picture of it before. She was always praised for her good memory, but right now it was useless to her, as she couldn't recall anything that could relate to this incident.

' _I wonder why,'_ she silently whispered in her mind, _'why I felt such déja-vu when I saw its eyes before falling from the tower?'_ His eyes were yellow, right? Cats have such eyes, so that had to be it. He merely reminded her a cat. However, this conclusion didn't convince her mind, as a voice from deep within was whispering her something different. She tried to listen to it, but there was not a single word she could recognize.

While was Amy lost in her mind, Sonic was tapping with his fingers against the bedding. This encounter with Eclipse didn't leave him so scared. For a strange reason when he saw falling Amy, his mind was clear. There was no panic or shock. It's true he was surprised seeing the demon was alive, however, he didn't terrify him.

Maybe it was because he was concentrating on saving Amy, or because he got faster. He looked at his red sneakers. After the dinner, he made sure to clean them, but now they were dirty. He closed his eyes and remembered how he was cutting one corner after another without any problem. He pondered why he was so fast. Where did it come from? Was it always inside? Was it in a family?

It pained him he didn't know anything about his other relatives. If he had at least one, he would be sent to live with them, and he wouldn't end up in an orphanage. Then again he would never meet Father Shadow. He sighed in his mind, remembering words the priest once told him; "Knowing one's roots is important, but don't let it hold you in one place."

At that time, he wasn't sure what it meant, but right now he had the feeling he understood it a bit. Sonic lost everything, and what remained he had to leave behind. It devastated him, and so he clung to it, closing his heart in the process. He slightly smiled. He was really happy to meet Father Shadow.

The minutes mercilessly ticked away, a few of them turned into tens of them until two hours spent in silence were gone. The peek of the night was upon them, and the fear once again invited itself into their hearts.

Sonic clenched his fists, and he was ready to dash outside to look for the priest when his ears pricked. He felt Amy hugged his arm closely, her body trembling. Through the open window came strange sounds. Too late he realized he should have closed it.

A clawed hand grabbed the window frame. Soon after it appeared horned head with wings immediately behind it. The creature was making hoarse sounds, wheezing, and loudly breathing.

Sonic and Amy quickly backed down toward the door, not letting the being leave their sight. Amy felt like screaming, but she couldn't make a sound. Something was strange here she was recognizing this person despite the drastic change in appearance. What more, the voice in her head was silently whispering soothing words, like she shouldn't be scared at all.

The body finally rolled down on the floor where it curled up. It was twitching and jerking with an occasional cough that escaped.

Sonic turned his ears toward the figure, slowly realizing who it was. "F-Father Shadow?" whispered the boy before getting closer. "It really is Father Shadow!" he knelt before him and shook with Shadow's body. He immediately noticed the fur was burning and soaked in sweat. "He has a fever!" His eyes fell on Amy who made a step back.

The blue hedgehog quickly dashed to grab her hand. He pressed it more tightly than he wanted, but the girl didn't yelp. "Don't scream! Okay? Father Shadow is just… a bit ill," he quickly babbled. Making a scene was the last thing they now needed.

Amy silently nodded. The first shock was gone and a strange calmness spread through her whole body. She was sure it was thanks to that silent voice, but right now there wasn't a time to think about it. "Then we have to help him. I'll bring some water." She effortlessly freed herself, leaving the room.

Sonic stood there, not moving. The blue hedgehog had no idea what to do. To chase Amy because she would definitely run away or tend Father?

"Stop dillydally," Amy rebuked him once she returned. "He needs help." She brought a bowl full of water and some cloth. "First, we have to put him on something."

Sonic's eyes widen, he was surprised she had returned. But what more, she seemed so calm now. He only made some positively sounding syllable as he stared at her taking down the blanket from the bed.

"We won't get him on the bed, let's make it on the floor." She dragged down the mattress and then the bedding.

Sonic finally snapped out of his daze and helped her to make a bed on the floor. Then they slowly dragged Shadow on it. Sonic would never think anybody could be so heavy. However, he was more surprised how hot the priest was. Once the ebony hedgehog was laying down on his side, Amy started to clean his body, and Sonic sat next to her.

She had noticed cracked cross around his neck and many physical changes. He had wings, claws and his fur turned partly red. On his forehead, she felt some bulge, and it scared her a bit. At first, she thought it could be an eye, but she shooed that away, ensuring herself it's just a big bruise.

The blue hedgehog was looking at her. Sonic felt he was inside of a vivid dream. Amy, a girl, who was just recently scared by a demon and kidnappers alike was now tending to Father Shadow like he didn't look like a monster. What was with her? How could she shake that fear so quickly? Did she forget it already?

To be honest, Sonic was scared of Shadow now. The memories were still fresh, and he felt the panic flooding his mind. The kind Father Shadow was scaring him more than that demon! He shook his head, soaking the used cloth in the bowl. He wrung the water out before he handed it to Amy. For a brief moment, he felt their fingers to touch. That short second was enough to tell the boy Amy was shaking just like him.

It amazed him. She was scared yet so collected. His respect towards her got stronger. She was nervous like him only she was capable of hiding it under her smile and resolve. Maybe she kept cleaning Shadow's body to not focus on her fears? Sonic bared his teeth and clenched his fist.

He felt like an idiot. All of his boastings were just for a show. How was he supposed to grow up into a good adult like Father Shadow said when his will was so weak? He took the bowl to the kitchen, changed the water and quickly returned back. He put it down, whispering, "Let's switch." He didn't wait for Amy's proper answer as he took the piece of cloth from her hand. Shadow's body wasn't shivering so much like before, but he was still far from being clean.

For the next hour, they were taking turns until the priest wasn't clean and dry and they too tired to move. In the end, Sonic and Amy slept in the other free bed. The rest of the night was dreamless for all of them.

The ebony hedgehog coughed, twitching as his body was sore. _'Agh, my body,'_ he moaned in his mind as he turned to the side. He tried to open his eyes first, but he felt too tired for that. So instead, he yawned for a few times, carefully stretching his limbs one by one. He wondered why he was so exhausted, but his brain was too sluggish and couldn't provide any clear memories.

He slowly stood on all fours, before sitting halfway down. His quills swayed from one side to another, as he was trying to convince his brain to return to normal function. He once again yawned and tried to open his eyes. However, the eyelids were glued together with rheum, so he rubbed them to get rid of it.

As he rubbed them, he noticed he drooled in his sleep. It embarrassed him as it never happened before. _'Was I dreaming about Amy's cookies?'_ He smiled when something sharp stabbed him into lower lip. He jerked and straightened up his body. He felt the blanket slid down his back, grazing over something, but he wasn't paying it any attention.

Finally, he was able to open his eyes, and despite his vision was a bit blurry he understood something was wrong. He stared at his hands. His eyes widen as the brain finally processed the visual information. "M-My hands…" His voice was shaking.

He had claws and there was a red streak going up to his elbow, continuing over shoulders on both arms. He gasped, and the piercing pain in his lip showed him it was caused by long fang he didn't have before. His body started to shake, and the shivering got so strong he had to hug his body.

"How do you feel, Mr. Shadow?" asked a silent voice.

The words awoke him from his panic, and he quickly turned his head in the direction of Amy Rose.

She was sitting on the bed, watching him as she rubbed her sleepy eyes. There was a small smile on her face despite it looked so tired. There were darker bags under her eyes showing she hardly had the needed amount of sleep.

Shadow felt the fear filled his mind. He was looking like a monster, and she saw him. She was there looking at him! "Ah… I… Am… I… No…" He had a problem to speak, as his brain tried to find a solution, and the malicious voice was whispering a clean cut to her neck would do the job done.


	28. Silver Darkness (4-10)

Shadow kept staring at her with open mouth. The blood was throbbing in his ears, and the voice kept pestering him about her delicate neck. It seemed Amy would move closer to him, and Shadow was about to yell at her to not get close when the door opened.

"The breakfast is here!" Sonic happily announced. Both heads shot in his direction. The young boy's eyes slightly widened as he saw sitting Shadow. His small heart started to pound a bit louder, and his throat was suddenly dry. "Father Shadow, you are awake!" he said after a few seconds of silence and quickly closed to door with his leg since in his hands he had a big basket.

He put the basket on the bed next to Amy. The action looked normal, but the boy was nervous, and Shadow could smell it. Sonic was scared of him, and the priest felt shiver ran down his spine.

"Thank you, Sonic, for bringing the food," Amy noted with a still tired smile. She lifted the clothe over the basket.

"I have got everything you asked me for." He took out a checkered blanket.

"Perfect! Let's have an indoor picnic," the girl rejoiced. She took the blanket and started to spread it on the floor.

Sonic picked the plates and cutlery. He wondered how she could have so much money. When Amy gave him her wallet, he was shocked to see how much she had. He never thought he would see so much money at one place. For a moment he felt a bit jealous, but he didn't ask her any questions.

He rushed to the market getting everything ready. He was kind of glad. He was still scared to be close to the priest. The blue boy bit his lip in depression. No matter how much he tried to convince himself Father Shadow was a kind person, the brain kept telling him he should run away. _'He can't be a bad person! He took care of you!'_ he reminded himself as he put plates on the prepared blanket. However, he didn't dare to look into Shadow's eyes.

Amy's words interrupted his gloomy thoughts, "I'm so excited, I never had a picnic before." She started to hum a simple melody, and for some reason, Sonic felt his spirit was lifted.

Shadow was equally soothed by the simple melody. He had no idea why it was possible, but it worked on him. He noticed it the moment the voice was gone. His brain was still enveloped by a strange haze, and he kept staring in front of himself.

The blanket was gradually filled with apples, hard to get oranges, bread, cucumber, butter, ham, and sliced cheese. There was even a small cake, and everything smelled nice, but nothing around felt real to the sitting Shadow. His eyes were solely focusing on the orange fruit as strong pangs of pain hit his heart.

The pain was unbearable, and he felt like ripping his heart out to get rid of it. Tears were pushing out of his eyes, but none slid down. It was like he was unable to cry. _'Why is this… so painful?'_ A blurry vision of bizarre scene started to unfold in front of him like a distant memory.

"Here, have a sandwich." Amy offered him a plate. She interrupted Shadows' thoughts, and the image was shattered to million pieces. "Everything looks better with a full stomach." Her smile was bright and wide.

Shadow simply nodded and accepted the plate. He still had no idea what to think and what was real or not. He took a bite of his simple meal, but he didn't feel any taste. He was merely eating out of the habit.

He wasn't aware of his surrounding. All the sounds slowly disappeared, pushed out of his consciousness. The colors melted and started to waver like during hot summer, and the fiery vision returned to swallow him. He opened his mouth, unable to inhale and distant scream reached his ears. It pierced them how sharp it was. He grabbed his head, not realizing that sharp sound came from the plate he let fall on the floor.

Amy and Sonic turned towards him with worry in their eyes. Amy slowly stood up, approaching Shadow's trembling body. She heard him wheezing, and one look into Shadow's now crimson eyes told her he was having a panic attack. The girl reached for him, but the priest snapped out, abruptly standing up.

Shadow made a horse sounds, and his body seemed to be hardly in the control of its movements when sharp toe-claws dug into the wooden floor. It caught him off guard and painfully reminded him he was a freak now. On the last second, he redirected his fall to the bed hitting the wall. He curled up while sitting, putting the knees under the chin and covering his head with hands. The pain he felt was nothing compared to the fear that filled him.

"Father Shadow," called him Sonic unsure what to do. He felt a big lump in his neck. He too well knew he went shopping just to be far from Shadow. He was scared and disgusted by himself at the same time. He prayed in his mind for Father Shadow to be normal before he returns, but the signs of his horrendous transformation were still visible.

"Mr. Shadow, there is no reason to be afraid," Amy spoke with a soothing voice. She stood up, stepping closer to the sitting figure.

"I'm just a monster!" he barked unable to look at her. He shivered when his back started to burn. "No!" The small wings began to grow, and saliva filled his mouth. The two children smelled so delicious. Panic flooded his mind, and he dug his growing claws into his quills. "No! No! Stop! Enough!"

His body refused to listen to his pleas and commenced to slowly undergo transformation to full demon. He bit his lip, tears gushing out of his eyes. "Please, stop!" he whispered. Suddenly he felt something hugged his head. His eyes widen and urge to tear it apart had risen inside of him.

"It's alright," Amy whispered, gently patting his quills. "Can you hear it? My heartbeat."

"Wha-?" Shadow inquired confused, realizing it was her who hugged him. A warm feeling started to spread through his whole body. It was odd as his body was already hot, but this warmth wasn't hurting him.

"Forget anything else, and just listen to it." It wasn't exactly an order, but the priest felt a huge problem should fall on his head if he wouldn't listen. He did his best by tightly closing his eyes and listening.

Her heartbeat was periodical and slow. She wasn't anxious or scared. Compared to her, Shadow's heart was beating like a wild drum. It was unsettled and fast, unable to take a rest. The priest listened more, pushing all other sounds out of his head. Amy's caressing hand helped him to calm down a bit, and with more minutes his breathing resumed its normal style.

' _What is this feeling? It's so warm,'_ he realized in his head. Was it just Amy's body-heat? It felt so nostalgic. He couldn't put his finger on it, but for some reason, he felt at ease. _'Who?'_ For a brief moment, he saw a snow-white figure flashing in front of his eyes, but it was soon gone. He wondered if it was just light playing tricks on him, but as his heartbeat settled down, he let it be.

"Yes, that's right. Don't push it. Let it go on its own," Amy again softly spoke into his ear. It was like being stroked with a silk blanket, it made him almost sleepy.

Shadow slowly uncurled his body and let his hands slid down, resting them on knees. However, he left his eyes closed. His mind was emptied, and a serene atmosphere filled him. He no longer felt any emotions, it was like floating in endless emptiness. He could only hear Amy's voice guiding him forward.

"The wings are getting smaller. Can you feel it? Smaller… and smaller…" Even Amy felt a strange calmness like never before. The whispering voice from the back of her head was with her, encouraging her to continue. She would to it anyway, there was no way she would watch Mr. Shadow suffer. She couldn't see his eyes, however, she felt his soul was finally free from the inner turmoil.

Neither of them had an idea what Sonic was doing. For the whole time, he kept sitting, feeling like an idiot for doing nothing. He wanted to help too, but his legs refused to move. When he heard about the wings, he finally convinced his body to stand up.

He got in front of the bed to see the wings as they got bigger. They now had the size every eagle would envy him. He watched them, noticing they began to shrink until they recovered the normal size Shadow once showed him. Sonic looked at Amy, but from his position, he couldn't see her face. However, he could tell the aura around her was peaceful.

"That's it. Just thinking how it grows makes it grow. Think the other way, and they shrink back." She petted black quills for a few more strokes before she let go of priest's head and jumped down. She stepped back to give Shadow some personal space too.

The ebony hedgehog had to push his desire to keep Amy touching him back. He instead just slid his hand over the other arm, feeling the faint warmness to linger. He slowly looked behind, afraid to see, but to his shock, they were small like before. "How did you…?" He looked at her with wide eyes and ajar mouth.

"I only used old advice from my mother. The pain goes away faster the less you think about it. I'm glad it worked." She tilted her head, clapping hands in front of her stomach. She was glad it worked, but she still couldn't figure out whose voice it was. Since the situation was already enough stressful, she decided to pursue her problem later. There seemed to be no harm from it, so it could easily wait a few days.

Shadow's ears twitched as he got a sudden idea. He looked at his hands. "So maybe…" He closed his eyes and concentrated, imagining his claws and fangs shrinking, and his fur turning black. He stayed like that for ten minutes or so, before he had the courage to open them. "It's… gone! It really is!" A bit twisted smile appeared on his face, and a huge burden fell from his heart.

"Your eyes are back to normal too," Amy ensured him.

Shadow let out a loud sigh. While this was good news, this was far from over. This could happen again in anytime. He was becoming more dangerous then he thought, then he could imagine. "I have to go," he mumbled, standing up. "I can't stay with you… Ugh!" he bit his lip as he suddenly went weak in his knees, plunging back on the bed.

"What do you mean by that?" Amy interrogated him with a big frown and crossed arms.

Sonic looked at her, astonished once more by her strong personality. There was no hint of fear in her voice. How was that possible?

"Mean?" Shadow repeated as he finally stood up. His body was shivering, and his muscles were sore. "I could hurt you… attack you," he tried to argue with her, but his voice soon turned quite as he continued, "I'm turning into a monster!" Echo of the latest memories hit him.

"But you haven't hurt us," she objected.

"That's a relief," he agreed. "But I still have to go. Now!" Shadow made a step toward the door almost stepping on the plate he dropped before.

"No way!" Amy barked without raising her voice and spread her arms. Her eyebrows were so knitted it made her face look dark. Shadow unwillingly winced as she continued, "Not in this condition! Just look at you!"

That simple sentence shot him right into the brain, and he quickly checked his attire. The last time he checked he was properly clothed. However, that was before meeting the small demon and turning into a monster. Now his trousers were torn, his boots were full of holes, and his robe kissed him goodbye who knows where.

"First," she put her hands on her hips, "you have to do something with your visage. Walking street like this won't help you." Her voice was firm, showing she wouldn't budge on this matter.

Shadow admitted Amy was right, but he shook his head. "You don't understand!" he barked, desperate to get away from everything.

"Ha!" she snapped at him, and for some reason, Shadow had a strong urge to sit down and wag his tail. The way she was looking at him was making him feel bad for his behavior. "Panicking won't help!" she continued with a firm voice, " First, calm down, then think about a solution."

Sonic gasped. Was there any limit for her? Amy was barking at Father Shadow like nothing. She was standing in his way, not wavering. He was almost afraid to talk, he felt uneasy in Shadow's presence, remembering how scary he was. The boy's fear was stopping him from getting closer.

Whenever he tried, the flashes of memories from the factory appeared in front of him. Those claws were still too big, too close, too real. Yet Amy seemed fine, despite she almost panicked the last night. He recalled how she shivered when she cleaned Shadow's body.

' _No, she is scared like me. She just knows how to hide it.'_ He again pondered how was Amy raised as this was the most un-girly behavior he had seen.

"Mr. Shadow, please, hear me out," she talked in a calm manner. "it's true, you have a big problem, but you also have smaller ones." A small smile formed on her face. "Those being clothes and an empty stomach."

The ebony priest covered his belly when agreement sounded from it. He flopped his ears a bit in embarrassment.

"Let's focus on them first then you will have enough time and brain capacity for the bigger one. Not to mention," she connected her hands behind her, tilting her body to the other side, "you and Sonic saved me twice. I would never forgive myself if I wouldn't repay you for that. Getting you new clothes is the smallest thing I can do for you."

Shadow averted his eyes. Amy was right in all cases. He needed to look like a normal citizen, and rumbling stomach wouldn't help him a bit.

"Doing something ordinary will help you to clear your head too."

The ebony hedgehog felt ashamed. He was used to encouraging others, it was never the other way. He tiredly sat on the chair. "Amy… thank you," he silently mumbled. Despite his problem was hardly solved, he felt better.

"No problem, that's what friends are for." She picked the fallen plate, wiped it with a tissue, and placed a new sandwich at it. The priest got up, resuming his place and this time he could enjoy his meal.

For the next half of the hour, they ate, and Amy made sure to engage both in conversation. Sonic tried to sound normal, but he was sure he was far from it. For him this time was unbearable, but he endured it.

Shadow wasn't any better as he knew the boy was scared of him. He did his best to sound cheerful, however, it was obvious his happy smile was fake.

Once the meal was over, he let Amy bandage him, covering the wings. To his surprise, he didn't find any wounds, and his body felt less sore. Sonic meanwhile packed their belongings into the suitcase. There wasn't much of it, so it took him only a short while.

They no longer could stay here, and as Shadow glanced out of the window, he felt he no longer could hide from himself.


	29. Silver Darkness (5-10)

Once outside of the inn, they headed straight for a clothes shop. Shadow tried his best to keep his composure as people were actually staring at him. He kept rubbing his sweaty palms against the destroyed trousers, constantly moving his suitcase from side to side. Every sound was making him scared, and his mouth was constantly full of saliva. But the worst thing was; the voice was back.

Only whispering so far but that was enough to make the priest anxious. He kept biting his cheek from inside, trying to distract himself. While was Amy guiding them through the streets humming a simple melody, he felt something was behind him. Creeping, just a few inches from his body, waiting for the right opportunity to jump to sink its teeth into the throbbing veins on the neck.

He gulped another portion of saliva. He felt hungry, not for food, but for blood and the ecstasy of hunting living prey.

His shaky eyes fell on the children walking in front of him.

So delicious, whispered the voice.

Such tender meat, added the voice, taunting him.

The black hand started to slowly move toward Amy when she turned back, saying, "Mr. Shadow, you weren't listening, were you?" Her face was a bit frowning.

"Huh?" was his only dumbfounded reaction. The voice, anxiousness, hunger all of it was suddenly gone. There was no trace left.

"You weren't trying to chicken out of shopping, were you?" she asked putting her right arm on the hip.

"No, I just," Shadow didn't finish his sentence. His body jerked a bit as he felt pain in the left calf.

"Are you alright, Father Shadow?" Sonic gasped quickly.

"Are you still in pain?" the girl added. "I thought your body is… feeling better since you walked with ease."

She gnawed her lip a bit before continuing, "I was so focused on finding this adult clothes shop I didn't consider you may still need a rest. I'm such…" She finished her sentence with balled fists, gripping the trim of her dress.

The ebony hedgehog slightly smiled. "No problem, I never visited any clothes shop, so I would be lost not knowing what to look for." He smiled.

"My legs are only a bit sore, with a little warming up, they will be in tip-top shape." Shadow stomped with them slightly, to show her he was alright.

She nodded. "Then it's good we have arrived." She headed to a door with a big glass panel and a small tag stating it's open.

"Welcome," said the doe clerk behind the bar, as the small bell announced someone had entered.

"Good day, miss," Amy made small curtsy, chirpy adding, "I'm looking for a nice shirt and pants."

The doe clerk in a simple working uniform of darker blue shade nodded. "Of course, just this morning we have got new goods." She gestured for them to follow.

"That's good to hear." Amy had happy sparks in her eyes.

"Here is the latest model," the woman said, and Sonic frowned. It looked like the one he saw at the entrance. "What size would you like?" the clerk added.

"Right, what is your size Mister Shadow?" The girl looked at him, and he seemed confused.

"A size? I… I don't know. I have never worn a shirt."

The clerk smiled. "No problem, I shall measure you, please stand here." She pointed at one more open place. "Now stay still, I'll take a note of your sizes," she instructed when he did so.

"A-Alright."

It seemed to be a simple procedure, but the priest felt so embarrassed and nervous. He followed her instructions, spreading arms and such. When she wanted to measure his chest, he jerked his body.

"Did I cut you?" She quickly checked her gloves if there wasn't a hole.

"N-No, I have gotten there really ugly bruise recently. It's just sensitive," he quickly made a white lie.

"I understand, I'll be very careful."

Despite hardly feeling the meter touching him, Shadow still held his breath for a second.

"This is all, so your sizes are like this," she said at the end of measuring. The doe clerk took the paper and walked to a poster next to a tall mirror.

"The size L should be fine," the woman said after comparing the values and went to the shirts.

"L size?" the boy asked Amy.

"Yeah, all clothes have a specific size," she started to explain, "From S to XL, we have a range from the smallest to the largest, so a wide variety of people can wear the same model as long it has different sizes."

Shadow was thinking about it a bit since he never experienced this, but he heard from time to time townspeople to talk about new clothes shop. It was always a big event since these shops introduced a cheaper, yet quality clothing. Of course, the rich ones would keep hiring dressmakers to make them new attire, but the middle class was finally having access to fashion.

As he was thinking Amy already picked three shirts for him. He had no other choice but to try them, letting the girl evaluate how he looked in it. Meanwhile, two customers came inside, but the priest was too occupied by changing clothes he hardly noticed them. Not to mention finding the right pants was almost harder than discovering shirt Amy was satisfied with. Finally, there seemed to be a set she was happy with.

It consisted of simple black trousers with a decent stripe pattern. The white shirt had no decoration but was made from durable material.

Since this shop offered even a small section of boots, he spent another eternity in finding the right-sized pair. But that hell had to eventually end. However, even if he was feeling tired, he wasn't annoyed, he had fun. Only the last piece Amy gave him was causing him a headache.

"Do I really need this?" he asked her, walking from the changing room.

"Of course." She firmly nodded with a bit impish smile.

Now he was sure, she picked it to tease him. It was a tie, and the priest had no idea what to do with it. She stretched her hand, gesturing him to pass it.

"Let me do it."

Shadow knelt, and she slowly tied it, explaining how she was doing it.

"See, it's simple. It just takes a little practice." She made two steps back, observing her handy work.

"Thank you, Amy." This sentence was rather heavy. Not just for the tie, but for helping him to regain his sanity.

"No problem. I guess it's time to go since you are ready."

Sonic's ears perked, quickly walking towards them. For the last hours he was reading a book the clerk lent him to survive through this.

Before Shadow could calculate, how much this would cost, Amy effortlessly paid for it. The ebony hedgehog prayed to the Lord to give him a chance to repay her this kindness. They have left the shop, walking down the street. This was the time they should give each other goodbye.

He planned to leave Sonic in the care of her family, continuing the journey on his own. But there was still the demon. He should take proper care of him first. When he prepared his brain for an argument with Amy, she stopped. Shadow inhaled the air, noticing a change in her smell.

"Amy, what's up?" Sonic asked and reached for her to grab her arm.

The priest put his hand on the boy's shoulder, gesturing him to not do so. "No, something… is different about her."

"Wha-?" He silently shouted.

Shadow inhaled the air around her. The smell was familiar to him, he was sure he had smelled it before, but he couldn't recall where or when. However, there was no malicious intention hiding in it. But who could possess Amy and for what purpose?

She started to walk in a different direction.

"Let's follow her for now," Shadow suggested.

He kept thinking about it. He had no idea if Amy came in contact with any other supernatural creature before the demon abducted her. He was the first one to pop into his mind, but since the aura around her wasn't malicious, it couldn't be his work.

"Father Shadow," whispered Sonic, "why is Amy acting like that?"

The priest nodded, ready to explain. "She is probably possessed. Snapping them out of it can temporally help, but in the long-term, it won't do any good.

From my experience, it's better to follow such person to the source and destroy it. Usually, it was a lesser demon controlling weak minded individual. Exorcising it will solve the problem permanently."

"So Amy is in danger?" The boy almost added 'again?', and nobody would complain.

Shadow checked the surrounding as they were slowly getting further from the bustling area. He was hoping a bit they would stay there, but if it was some medium calling Amy, it wasn't surprising to meet them at the outskirt of cities. There were still people believing anybody with unusual powers was responsible for bad weather or floods.

"Not necessary, let's follow her for now."

The boy nodded, not letting her leave his sight.

The priest had no idea what was happening in Amy's head, but the girl wasn't any wiser. Her mind was enveloped by a haze, and her green eyes were set on a woman in front of her.

At least the girl thought that way. There were long quills wavering around her, and the aura surrounding her was so mother-like. It was gentle, soft, emitting absolute safety in her arms. Amy wasn't afraid of her, and she believed it was her voice that guided her when she took care of Mister Shadow.

The said priest was now looking into her unfocused eyes. It was one of the signs of being possessed, however, that was the only sign. He once more smelled her.

"Why are you sniffing around her?" Sonic asked. He actually did it too because he was curious, but there was nothing strange. His green eyes looked around since they entered the outer part of the city a few streets ago.

"I'm just checking her odor."

Sonic lifted his eyebrow.

"Well," Shadow felt awkward, "I have got a more sensitive more and… How to put it…"

He scratched his muzzle as he was looking for the right words.

"Basically," he continued, "I can tell if there is something wrong based on the smell coming from people." He didn't wish to talk more about it, but this might be the only good thing that came with his transformation. It came handy for a few times.

Sonic didn't ask more question, feeling Father Shadow didn't want to pursue it any further. The boy concentrated on Amy in front of him.

They entered the oldest part of the city, encountering only a handful of people. Nobody paid them any attention, their worries were more important than problems of a random person. Nobody wanted to have extra work as a result of their kindness.

Shadow's nose picked one familiar smell; way too familiar smell to be precious. His fur bristled, and he tensed his muscles. Sonic noticed that change when they were turning a corner. The priest silently growled, his dark eyes pierced the space in front of them.

Sonic jerked his head forward, seeing a body on the ground. It was him! "That demon!" the boy gasped, recognizing the small demon lying on the stomach with his limbs stretched.

The ebony hedgehog knelt, grabbing Amy and pressing her against his chest. "Amy, can you hear me?" he whispered to not scare her more than she probably was.

Amy winked, waking from her vivid dream. "Ah, yes, but why-?" She stopped, noticing she was in a different place. Just a short while ago they were in the middle of busy street. _'That woman?'_ She could only vaguely remember her form. _'Where is she?'_

Shadow loosed up his arm. "You led us here. I thought it may not be entirely of your will." He gently pushed her behind.

The demon was unconscious, and his smell was far from the one that was around Amy. If this was truly a work of a medium, why did this person lead them here? To end the demon's life? If so, it meant the medium knew about him, so why to use them?

Amy was as confused as the priest. She shivered when she noticed Eclipse. The memories were too fresh to not feel fear. She noticed Sonic stood in front of her. There was no doubt he was protecting her.

The pink hedgehog again looked at the demon, and she heard a voice. _'What?'_ she barked in her mind, but no answer came. She didn't hear words, but she knew the meaning. However, it was making no sense. How could it be this way?

Amy wanted to scream and ran away, but once more the glowing woman was in front of her. The girl crossed her arms in front of her, closing eyes, but instead of the pain she felt a warmth spreading from her forehead. The woman kissed her. Amy opened her eyes, and she could suddenly see more than before.

She could see Shadow's aura. It was mostly calm, with subtle ripples spreading through it. The grayish color was covering something dark beneath as the dark shades were pulsating in the center.

She glanced at Sonic, and his aura was crystal clear, full of sea blue shades. It was wavering, reflecting anxiety and nervousness.

Amy's eyes were at last dragged toward the demon. She gasped, covering her mouth. She never thought she would see such emotion mess in a demon. She widened her eyes in the hope she would see more, but her vision was gone.

' _Huh?'_ She checked her companions, but their auras were gone too. Her eyes returned to normal. Was she really seeing it? Or was it what she thought she saw?

Shadow put down his suitcase, coming closer to the unmoving body. _'Is he dead?'_ he questioned the demon's status.

Considering how they weren't exactly silent with their steps, Shadow expected the demon to know about them a long time ago. He remembered their previous encounters. He was sure it was this demon that was possessing people in his town.

However, they turned aggressive, so he knew Amy wasn't possessed by this demon. He was also thinking, this creature wasn't controlling them but using their troubles and worries to make them commit crimes so their souls would turn darker.

In a sense, Shadow was more leaning toward the theory this demon used possession as an occasional hunting method. His forte was in frontal attacks, ripping the bodies to shreds.

The priest shuddered, he felt disgusted he was so calmly analyzing this creature's habits. In the end, it didn't matter. This demon killed innocent people, he needed to be put down; permanently.

He sniffed. _'A burns?'_

His eyes trailed small crossed legs. With just a brief look he noticed severe burns.

' _How? He wasn't hurt, when I lost him. Did he meet someone else?'_

Shadow moved a bit closer and knelt, taking longer to analyze the third smell he detected. Upon success, his body jerked and froze.

' _That… silver exorcist?'_ He couldn't surpass the shiver that ran down his spine. _'This demon must have devil's own luck escaping from him. But when that happened?'_

He slightly shook his head. _'Why do I care? I shouldn't be overthinking this.'_

He felt he might start feeling pity for this demonic creature. He shouldn't have. It was cruel being, unable to feel remorse or emotions. This demon clearly deserves this all. There was no need to feel compassion. The priest slowly stood up, getting ready to do what had to be done.

' _It will be better if I end his life now. Those burns are severe, and he wouldn't be able to live for too long anyway.'_

He once more examined his body. On his face, he noticed dry traces. _'Was he… crying?'_ He bit his lip as he rolled his sleeves up.

"Mr. Shadow?" Amy made a step, but the boy grabbed her hand, preventing her from getting closer. "What are you going to do?"

The ebony hedgehog sighed in his mind. "Sonic, Amy, can you return to the city? I'll catch up with you later."

"Okay," Sonic answered, and started to drag Amy away.

"Hey, wait," she called the boy, but he refused to stop. "I said wait!" She pulled her hand off, freeing herself. She dashed closer, quickly placing her question, "What are you intending to do, Mr. Shadow?"

The priest didn't look at her as he could feel her eyes were on his back. He sighed, "I shall end his life."

"No way," she whispered.

"Wha-?" Sonic gasped, unable to believe his ears.

The ebony hedgehog's ears twitched upon hearing it. Did she feel pity for him? Even after he assaulted her?

"Are you crazy?" burst Sonic. "He attacked you! You have no idea what he intended to do to me! He chased me, and when he had me, he claimed to keep me as his pet to hunt me whenever he would feel it! Demons love to torture their prey to the death! They are just heartless monsters!" His body started to shake with anger.

Amy had a sour expression. "I know! I know! Demons are bad and all, I heard that all the time!" she talked back and then she looked at the unconscious demon.

Why did she feel that glowing woman wanted for this demon to live? Was she telling her to have mercy? It was true Amy was still scared of him, however, that feeling was fading when she noticed his hurt body.

"But doesn't Lord teaches us to help those in need?" she inquired, trying to somehow convey the message she had got from the woman.

Maybe this was the reason. Maybe this lady was a messenger of the Lord. Why else would she be glowing?

Sonic's jaw dropped, and he barked without thinking, "Are you a bloody fool?"

"Sonic!" Shadow snapped, stopping Sonic from saying more.

The boy's ears went down. A small blush appeared on his muzzle.

"Both of you are right," Shadow admitted, turning toward them. "But you, Amy, are making me curious. Why? This demon devoured countless innocent citizens, you experienced that terror first hand. I understand you are kindhearted, but even that has its limits. What's makes you feel a need to help him? Even if you will help him and he recovers, you will only end up as his victim."

"Yeah, Father Shadow is right," said Sonic in more friendly tone now. He felt a bit guilty for calling her bloody fool.

All eyes were on her, waiting for her answer.


	30. Silver Darkness (6-10)

"I… I think…" Amy slowly spoke, but she stopped as the intense feeling of pain engulfed her. It wasn't just that, there was fear, loneliness, uncertainty, longing, and desire to be accepted.

She felt a gentle hand petting her quills. At that moment, her fear of the demon was completely gone. After a short while, she said, "I think he isn't such a bad person."

Sonic bit his tongue stopping the words. He didn't want to say something he would regret later.

Shadow frowned a bit in a thinking manner. "What makes you believe it? For your age, you are more mature than many adults believe to be, I can't imagine you would make a rash decision without thinking about it first."

Amy felt a bit insecure as the glowing woman was no longer near her. She only left Amy with a strange message. She had no idea how to word the woman's message, but this might be the right time to say, what she meant to say for a long time.

"I can see a person's soul."

"See person's soul?" repeated Sonic to ensure he heard it right.

She nodded, looking a bit ashamed or scared to talk about it. "As far as I remember, I could tell if the one in front of me was lying, hiding something, a bad or good person." Finally, her greatest secret was out.

The eyes were on Amy. She felt small, perhaps a bit dirty. It was a strange feeling. She knew she could trust them, but talking about this was still hard.

"So that's the reason why you believed me," Shadow noted, and she nodded with a smile. That explained quite a bit.

"But demon's don't have a soul. They are heartless monsters," the blue hedgehog objected.

"Well, theoretically yes, practically no one knows," admitted the priest. "Let's assume Amy can see a true personality rather than a soul. How would you describe this demon?" Shadow stepped aside.

Amy jerked in her mind. How? That was a good question. She no longer saw what she could with that glowing woman's touch. There were no souls inside of them, she could just tell if somebody was lying or not.

She squinted her eyes, focusing on the previous images. It all got blurry and unclear. It felt like a distant dream from a long time ago. She balled her fists as she concentrated.

Suddenly, a haze enveloped the demon's body. It was hardly visible, something like morning herpes. However, the colors were the same as before when her vision was clear.

She knew what each shade meant.

"He seems to be…" her words were silent, "lonely… scared, wanting to be accepted, childish… I think he is a child…" Amy had to take a short breather since her head became heavy all of sudden.

"Somehow… he seems… wanting… no, yearning for someone…" Her words were insecure like she didn't have confidence in them. She never put what she saw in others into words, she only learned to feel the meaning.

Shadow noticed her struggle, and he could understand her. He also wouldn't be able to talk about his situation. But putting that aside, what should he do with that demon? He was dangerous, there was no doubt about it.

Nevertheless, Amy's words made him think. He didn't doubt them. It was just causing him a headache. He felt torn between his brain and heart. Ending a demon's life was one thing, but children's one? This child was still a demon, it needed to be taken care of.

Shadow bit his lip. He knew the child part was making him uneasy. He liked children, and if there was somebody this demon was yearning for, could it mean he knew about friendship?

The priest scratched his muzzle. Such thoughts were making his head dizzy, but there might be something he could try.

"Father Shadow, you are not seriously thinking about sparing him, aren't you?" asked Sonic eyeing the priest with a bit angry look. He knew the priest started to scratch his muzzle when he was in deep thoughts.

Shadow's ears twitched.

Busted!

The ebony hedgehog made wavy smile. "Well, I do know a way how to keep him from hurting others. I'm also wondering what happened to him the last night." He might be able to learn something about the silver exorcist.

"Really?" Amy clenched her fist in a hopeful manner. For a moment she once more felt the presence of the glowing woman, smiling at her. Why did she want to keep this demon alive?

"Theoretically it can work. He is at his weakest. But Amy," the priest made sure his voice was firm, "if he turns out hostile, or try to hurt any of you, I shall end his life." He didn't believe the demon would cooperate easily, but he wanted to give it a try. Everyone deserved a second chance.

"I understand." She slightly bowed, lifting her skirt. "Thank you so much." She worriedly looked at Sonic, who was pouting.

The boy tried not to look into her eyes, but it was hard. They locked on. He liked Amy. She was girly, but also a bit boyish. He never saw any girl acting that way. In a sense, he admired her. The boy sighed. "Have it your way. But what now?"

"First we have to find someplace where we can hide," noted the hedgehog priest. "An abandoned building far from the city would be nice."

"That's a piece of a cake for me!" Sonic saluted and dashed away. Only a small ball of dust remained where he stood.

Shadow didn't have time to respond. He slightly smiled and nodded. "Good, if I remember correctly I have seen some old blankets a few streets back."

His dark eyes glanced dark stains on his trousers. Too late he realized he got them dirty and it wasn't more than an hour from the purchase. He quickly wiped them, getting rid of the worst dust.

"Amy, you will come with me."

"Yes," she answered, determinate to do everything he would ask her for.

Shadow didn't think the demon would wake up anytime soon, given his physical state, but he wasn't willing to take any risks. With his keen sense of smell, it was a matter of minutes before they found the desired blankets.

When they returned, the demon was still in the same place. The priest closely examined his body, noting dark streams on his legs. There was no doubt his wounds bled.

Amy picked from her handbag ointment, spare bandages and a small flash of water. Shadow's eye twitched. Was her handbag bottomless? At this moment he wasn't doubting it. He knelt down and helped her.

The young girls were humming a simple melody, not knowing the glowing woman was behind her. She gently touched her quills and the memories of her slowly dissipated. With this, the woman disappeared. There was no need for her interference. The path had been prepared.

Shadow blinked and looked above the child. For a moment he thought he saw somebody standing there. _'It must have been a play of lights,'_ he dismissed it as a simple illusion.

The ebony hedgehog was closely watching Eclipse's face. For a few times, it twitched when they touched his wounds, or his barely audible voice uttered something. There were no signs of him waking up even during bandaging.

Shadow then wrapped him in the blankets, carefully folding the wings so they won't get damaged.

' _Didn't I…?'_

Shadow now realized he ripped one wing, but now he had both.

' _Did it regrown?'_

It was kind of a stupid question since he had the answer right in front of his eyes. For a strange reason, he felt happy. But he shouldn't be glad a monster got back its wing.

He sighed, taking the small bundle into his arms since Amy was stubborn about taking his suitcase. The priest looked at the demon's tired face.

During their second encounter, the demon's expression turned to terrified one. Every time their eyes met, there was nothing but fear and panic in them. The ebony hedgehog gently pressed the small body against his chest.

' _I must have turned into a complete savage… to scare even a demon.'_

He hated his transformation, and his teeth gritted since the demon's body was light. Shadow held many children in his arms to know how it felt. This demon was really still a kid. The priest liked children, hurting one was against his better judgment.

Shadow bit his lip, hoping he wouldn't regret his decision. Amy stood next to him and together they waited for Sonic.

Thankfully that happened after a short while.

He proudly announced, "I have found one old building about five or so minutes away."

"Five minutes for you, I presume?" asked Amy with amusement in her voice.

"Eh… Yeah," the boy nervously scratched behind his ear. She got him.

"Never mind, the most important is you have found a suitable place for us now." Shadow nodded. "Let's go, I would like to get there before the sunset. Sonic, do you think you can take Amy?"

The boy only winked, slightly blushing. "Sure."

Amy let him lift her bridal style, blushing as well, realizing this wasn't the first time. She pressed the suitcase to her body, and the boy made sure not to run too fast. The blue hedgehog was greatly surprised seeing Father Shadow was keeping up with him.

The priest tried not to think about it too much. It was reminding him of his demonic side, and he wanted nothing more than to push it away from his brain. After about a half of the hour, they left the city.

Amy asked, "Sonic, you have said demons are heartless monsters, right?"

The boy glanced at her, mumbling, "Yeah."

"You are right about that one."

Sonic eyes widen. What did she just say?

The priest's ears twitched. _'Is she changing her mind?'_ This girl was one amazement after another.

She continued, "They can't because no one taught them what it means to have a heart." It was a simple answer, yet the words were heavy.

"Like seriously?" Sonic jumped in the air, making her release a silent yelp. "Uh, sorry."

"That's alright," she mumbled. "We know different things only because we are taught about them. We experience and feel them. He doesn't know what having a heart is, because no one showed it to him."

Shadow sped up a bit to be next to them. He could hear them just fine, but he wanted to see their faces.

"If he can learn it, wouldn't it make him a better person? My father always says, that with a right chance anyone can change."

The ebony priest was again astonished by her wisdom. Was Amy just a small girl? Even if her father taught her many good things, to be able to think in such a complex way was unimaginable even for adults. Anyone with such deep thoughts must have experienced a lot of hardships. He was sure Amy never, no matter how restricted she felt in her own home, experienced any of it.

The priest watched Sonic's face. He could tell these words made the boy think in a different way about this demon.

"There it is!" Sonic suddenly shouted, taking their minds off those words.

A small house was seen against horizon turning orangish. The priest painfully realized they skipped lunch. Once they entered, he could smell no one was here for long years, making this perfect hiding place. The walls were covered with moss and vine and other types of trailing plants. The roof was mostly untouched, only having a couple of holes.

One room, that probably used to be a living room, was in the best condition. He laid the demon down, wiped the worst dust off the floor and tried to make sure not too much dirt got on his trousers.

But before he started to scribble a simple magic circle, he gave all his money to Sonic and sent him back to the city to buy some food. He was sure at least one shop could still be open, and the boy was allowed to choose anything.

Once the inscription was finished, he unwrapped the demon and put him inside. He chanted silent words, activating the spell. The letters shined for a moment, before dimming out.

Then he helped Amy who was in a small room in the back, cleaning. Some furniture was left inside, and a lot of dust needed to be, well, dusted off. As the pink hedgehog was delivering the last finishing touches only a girl could think of, Sonic returned.

He actually stopped at the inn too, paying the rest of the rent, only then he went buying any food. The priest praised the boy for his insight since he completely forgot about his debt.

Before Shadow could refuse any food in favor of the kids, Amy gave him almost death glare, making him sit down on the checkered picnic cover.

He timidly asked for an orange. Only then the lass smiled and nodded. During the meal they were silent, prisoners of their own minds.

The sweet taste of the fruit helped the priest to relax a bit. He wondered why whenever he ate an orange his mood was lifted. Not just once it was a sour piece, but he still enjoyed it. It sure was a small mystery.

After the simple but tasty meal, he asked the duo to stay in this room, until he would call them. They nodded, and the priest had the feeling he would see them sooner than later.

From a storage room, he brought a wooden box, cleaned it as much as he could and put it in front of the circle just a meter or so away. He sat down, assuming a thinking position, staring at the lying body.

The priest smirked a bit. That Amy, her opinion on demons was a strange one, but she wasn't scared of him or called him a monster.

If his decision was to kill this one for being a demon, shouldn't he kill himself for being a monster? His ears twitched, pointing at the demon.

He made painful sounds, showing signs he would wake up soon.

Meanwhile, in the back room, both children were sitting in complete silence. Amy tried to concentrate on the small vase full of meadow flowers, but she could hardly focus, constantly thinking about the demon. She really hoped he would accept their help. Her other concern was meant for the boy. He helped her despite his resentment.

"Thank you," Amy said. "Thank you for doing all of this despite your hatred for him."

"No prob," he answered without any interest, staring at his dirty sneakers.

"I'll understand if you will dislike me." But understanding didn't mean it wouldn't hurt.

"I don't hate you, but him," the boy silently replied.

That was how he really felt. He liked Amy, he was amazed by her strong will and resolve.

Amy gently smiled, brushing a loose quill behind her ear. "Yet you still helped. You put aside your differences, and one day there will be a wonderful adult from you. Someone who will be able to guide others."

"You think so?" The blue ears perked up a bit, and the boy felt a slight redness sneaking on the surface.

"Yeah, absolutely."

Sonic looked away. What could he say? He only hoped the demon wouldn't cause any trouble.


	31. Silver Darkness (7-10)

The sun went down, and the world was engulfed by shining night. The moon and stars clothed everything in a silver veil. Most people were sleeping as of now, but a certain black hedgehog wasn't, and he wasn't planning to do so anytime soon.

The demon was gradually waking up, giving out painful moans. Slowly he sat up, scratching in his quills, weakly flapping with wings to get rid of the numbness faster.

"It hurts…" Eclipse silently hissed as he stretched his shoulders, rubbing his sleepy eyes.

He slowly focused on the floor beneath him. It was made of wood, and somehow it felt wrong.

"Where am I…" His head was at a snail's pace turned around, finally looking at the place where Shadow was motionlessly sitting.

The demon watched for a good minute without any reaction.

Eclipse's eyes widen as his brain finally understood the situation. He screamed, crawling away only to crash into an invisible barrier that lit up a bit. He scratched it, hit it with his fists and head in desperate attempt to break it.

"No! No! Please, don't kill me!" he cried. "Let me go! Please!" Tears started to fall down with rising panic.

The priest did nothing. It was best to let the demon get tired, then he might be enough calm for conversation.

With each passing second, he felt more and more pity for him. Such fear and sadness.

Was Amy right? Was there more to demons than just being monsters? Could they also feel emotions like people?

The demon soon collapsed, gasping for air. He pushed against the barrier as far as he could. He was constantly crying and shaking with dread. His body twitched from time to time when he moved with legs as a sharp pain shot through his body.

"I have a few questions," Shadow finally spoke, having casual tone.

The demon crouched.

"And I don't have an intention to hurt you… unless you give me a reason."

Eclipse didn't provide any response. His eyes locked on the priest.

"Nod, if you will answer them."

After a while, he weakly nodded.

"Good."

The ebony hedgehog knew he had to ask now before the demon calmed down too much, and that would give him a time to start scheming.

"What happened to your legs?"

There was no answer.

"Your treatment depends on your cooperation."

The ebony hedgehog didn't want to sound threatening, but he had no choice.

"It…" Eclipse had finally spoken with a small voice. Gone was the cockiness he was showing during their first encounter. "It was a silver man… with weird power," he mumbled as his throat was dry.

'So it was that silver exorcist,' thought the priest, and a shiver ran down his spine.

That man was powerful, he could imagine this one escaped only because he was exhausted from their previous fight.

"How did you escape him?" he questioned the demon more.

"I… didn't… sis threw me out…" he answered immediately.

Shadow jerked his head. "Sis?"

The demon crouched and covered his mouth, backing down a bit.

The priest continued, "Where is she? Tell me more."

He never knew demons had genders or anything like that, or that they could consider someone a sibling for that matter.

Eclipse frowned.

"So, you don't want to talk, huh?" Shadow moved his hands on his knees, suggesting he was about to do something.

"No!" Eclipse shouted. His body shivered, cold sweat covering him.

"Then answer me," Shadow's voice was calm. He didn't want to push too hard, but he needed the answers.

"I… just… don't know." More tears appeared in his eyes.

"That could mean…" The hedgehog started to think aloud when he was interrupted by the demon.

"She can't be dead!" he yelled, lifting his body. "I'll kill that bastard if he hurt her!"

Hearing him threatening like that was kind of unexpected. The priest never heard of a demon who would be concerned about anyone else.

"With that body of yours?" Shadow inquired, curious what his reaction would be.

The demon jerked, lowering his body. His yellow eyes scanned his legs. They would need days to fully heal. Eclipse balled his fists, the feeling of helplessness filled his mind.

Shadow's ears twitched. Silent steps approached him from the hall. He didn't need to be genius to know it's Amy with Sonic right behind her. Both stopped to get his approval. There was no stopping them, especially her, so he nodded.

When they entered, Eclipse moved away from them. There was no way he would forget his past preys, especially such annoying ones. He flattened his body in futile attempt to turn invisible.

' _Why they are here?'_ the small demon asked in his mind.

His nose told him there was mostly neutral to slightly irritated aura around them. Were they here to laugh at him? To hurt him? To take revenge? The small demon bared his teeth, letting out a wimpy growl.

The pink girl suddenly smiled. "Hi, I'm Amy, want a cookie?"

Eclipse's eyes shot open. Why was she so cheerful? He watched her searching for them in her handbag.

After a short moment, she pulled out a small bag.

"They are not fresh, but they still taste good."

Amy came closer, but there was still a step between her and the barrier. Sonic was closely watching, ready to save her in the case the demon would try to hurt her.

The demon's nostrils widen, and his mouth produced saliva. It smelled so good. His stomach rumbled, voicing a desire to eat.

"Sorry, I don't have any plate." She carefully checked the thread around the opening, making sure it was tightly closed.

"Here, try them." She gently threw the bag inside of the barrier.

She would rather give it to Eclipse, but Shadow instructed them, that captured demon would definitely hurt them if they would cross it.

The demon sniffed and grabbed it. His eyes shot in their direction, unsure what to do. Why would they give it to him? He opened the sachet, and the delicious aroma breathed at him. He gulped accumulated saliva, to pretend any drool from escaping.

He carefully took one round piece between his fingers. It was so small yet so delicate with dark dots mixed with the dough. With a bit of precaution, he took a tiny bite. He hardly chewed once when his mouth exploded.

He showed all cookies in his mouth, letting the delicious taste spread all over his brain and taste buds.

"Mff… good… good… pmnmff…"

It was hard to tell what Eclipse was saying with his cheeks stuffed. He looked like a hamster just before the hibernation.

Amy was silently giggling, and Sonic scratched his muzzle. It sure was weird to see a demon rocking on the floor because of a handful of cookies.

Shadow was smiling, noting how unusual this situation was.

' _How strange… a demon acts like a child… so I guess he is one. Just like Amy said.'_

His wings under the bandage twitched, reminding him of his true nature.

' _If… I'm a demon as well, why was I living with people in peace? Did someone changed my ways or was I like this from the beginning?_

 _Seeing in people something more than just food source? Could he be changed as well?'_ This thought tempted him to give it a try.

Eclipse meanwhile gulped the last morsel, picking all the leftovers in his mouth any way possible for him to eat. Once there was nothing more to dig out, he checked the bag for crumbles. To his delight, there were some with two pieces of the dark balls that left a deliciously bitter taste. He didn't like bitter thing, but this one was an exception. His stomach rumbled once more.

Amy went and started to search in her handbag. "I'm sorry, I don't have anymore," she sadly announced.

A small sachet landed in the circle. "Have these," Sonic said, looking away with his hands in pockets.

Eclipse opened the new treasure bad, finding more cookies inside. His face brightened up.

' _This boy is growing up,'_ the ebony priest thought.

The demon picked one cookie, taking a very small bite. It tasted so good. There were more cookies in the sachet, and all of them smelled so good. He closed the bag and threw it out.

All the hedgehog showed a surprise by either jerking their head or by widening their eyes.

"Take one too. They are good," Eclipse said without looking up, nibbling on his piece.

"Thank you," Amy said with a big smile, picking up the little pouch.

' _An act of sharing,'_ the ebony hedgehog thought as the lass gave him one. _'I never thought it can have such strange feeling.'_

His dark eyes checked on Sonic who tried to look cool and confident. But the way he chewed showed he was thinking. Shadow was sure he couldn't stop wondering why the demon tossed the cookies back for them to share.

Was there more to it? A clever ruse to gain trust? Or just an honest intention? The priest left those question for a later time since the demon finished nibbling on his last cookie.

"How are your legs?" the lass asked.

He was watching her for a while, before mumbling, "… Fine…"

She gave him a cheerful smile. "I'm sure they will get better in no time."

"Why?" He looked into her blue eyes. "Why do you care?"

She had to think about her answer a bit. "Well, I just can't help it. Seeing someone in pain makes me want to help them."

"That goes for mortals…" Eclipse averted his gaze. Why was she looking at him with such gentleness?

Amy put her arms behind her back, hiding her nervousness.

"It's true you scared me," she silently spoke, "you were mean to Sonic and Mr. Shadow. But hurting each other won't solve anything."

Shadow let the demon to think about her words a bit. His curious expression suggested the demon was thinking about them.

Suddenly, Eclipse jerked with his body, shouting, "Sis!"

He slammed into the barrier with his upper torso, trying to escape.

"She is… alive," he gasped, his claws sliding down the invisible surface.

"You can tell where she is?" Shadow asked, his ears perked up.

The small demon stopped moving, slowly looking at him. "Ah." He clenched his fist. "Please, let me go. I promise you won't see me again. I will never hurt you."

"And then what?" Sonic barked with clenched fists, stomping his foot, "You think we will let you free so you can kill others?" The boy strongly snorted. "Fat chance!"

The small demon growled, and Shadow wasn't sure if he was trying to sound threatening or pitiful. The small demon turned back, banging his head against the barrier.

' _We can't let him roam free,'_ Shadow bit his lip a bit, and his brain presented him a possible solution. "Maybe…" he started his sentence, but he let the rest hang in the air.

"Like seriously?" The boy cleared his ears to make sure the hearing isn't blocked. He didn't want to believe Father Shadow would let this monster go after what it had done.

"Well, did you hear about stories when a person makes a deal with a demon?" the priest asked a bit pointless question.

"You mean like to gain gold, fame and so?" the lass pointed out.

The stories were famous, and all of them ended with the person's soul being devoured. Their main purpose was to teach people not to give in the temptation or be aware of quick success or profit.

"That's right!" Eclipse shouted. "I'll fulfill any wish you can have!"

This was his ticket to freedom. There was no way he was going to let this change go in a vain. If swallowing his pride was the price, so be it. The life of his sister depended on it.

Sonic hissed, angered. He wasn't doubting the demon was making it up to just escape.

"Yeah, we can do that."

Shadow stood up, looking serious. Amy was happy, yet she was nervous too. Just what wish Mr. Shadow could have?


	32. Silver Darkness (8-0--10)

Unbeknownst to them, there was another drama unfolding in the city. It started many hours ago during the night and continued the whole day.

The silver exorcist had returned at the early dawn to his house and spent most of the morning in the cellar. It was a bit damp place, with cold walls and an echo, but they were the reason he also liked this house.

It had two underground floors. The first one was used for supplies, storage or there was a secret passage leading to catacombs. However, the best part started on the second floor.

It consisted of several rooms, and each was literally packed with binding seals of different strength, size, and use. That way, an exorcist could trap and interrogate any demon no matter what shape, size, and strength it had.

Silver, now wearing another casual set of clothes that looked identical to the previous one, wasn't trying to find some treat on the first floor, but he was in the lower one, leaning against the stone wall. His expression appeared emotionless, but there were hints of annoyance.

During the night he had captured one bulkier demon. He made sure to chain it properly to the ground, not letting it have the slightest room for movement.

That meant Crestia was pressed hard against the floor, lying on her stomach in the middle of a binding inscription. Her back was covered with numerous cuts as she was whipped for hours now, having thin streams of blood leaving the body forming puddles. The only two factors stating she was still alive were a vapor coming from her mouth and a death stare directed at her tormentor.

"I hate to admit it, but you are quite stubborn," Silver said in a thinking manner. "To be able to withstand so much torture and not to scream or spill the beans is truly praiseworthy." He stepped closer to her. "I wonder…"

On the palm of his glove was a circle. He channeled psychic power into it, and a whip formed in his hand.

"… what makes you so."

He slashed her back. Yet again she just ground her teeth, drilling the claws into the ground, but no sound escaped her lips.

"Still fighting it? You make me curious, where is your limit? It surely can't be endless."

She pierced him with her eyes, growling.

"That's the spirit," he mocked her with a sadistic smile. "I promise, I will kill you fast. It will be completely painless. Just tell me where is the other demon." He gestured with the whip.

Her attempt to spit on him ended many centimeters from his foot.

The young psychic showed teeth, growling, "So that's your answer!"

The agent whipped her, not leaving a piece to be untouched. When he stopped, gasping for air, he noticed she was unconscious.

"Dang!" He hit the wall with a fist. "Why it's so stubborn!"

His blood was boiling, almost erupting from his body as he had a problem to control his anger. He left the room not bothering to close the door, after all, it was chained to a seal, having zero chance to escape.

He slowly climbed the stairs, calming his breathing and mind. He left the humid cellar and entered the ground floor. There he headed to a sitting-room that had door almost in front the one leading down. This room was spacious, having some decorations, drawings, and statues with flower pots standing in the corner or along the walls.

There were enough seats for ten or so people to sit down around the bigger coffee table on the long sofa or armchairs of brown color while having enough space around.

Gold was already present in the room sitting in the corner of a long couch, having tea and her all the time favorite Lotus biscuits. She was as well wearing more casual and simple dress of beige and white color. The metallic rings were replaced by darker beige ribbons wrapped around her thickest quills. This little addition was getting popular among females of all ages, being seen as cute and fashionable.

She saw her partner for the first time in the morning as Silver left to the cellar before she woke up.

The young psychic poured himself a tea, assuming his place in the armchair, having the whole room in front of himself.

"How it went?" she carefully asked, feeling the tension coming from him.

He snorted showing his disdain. "It's a stubborn creature, it won't talk easily."

It wasn't like the demon went down in one or two hits either, and that made him even grumpier. Just remembering it was making him angry… on himself. Like letting the fake priest to escape wasn't enough for him that night, he had to make another mistake.

When he heard those words, "… That black priest is too scary!"

He immediately jumped into action, seeing two demons. He did not care who they were, he only wanted to get the smaller one as it seemed it knew something about the fake priest. He acted too fast, revealing his presence. The moment he was spotted by the bigger demoness, he created a big psionic arm to grab the small one.

He succeeded only partly, clenching its legs. However, Crestia ripped through his psionic energy like nothing, and with one mighty swing, she tossed the small one far away.

Silver hissed and clenched his teeth. This way his psychic power attacks had more strength behind them, but any damage was sent right into his brain. Using it was risky but dangerous in this case.

The exorcist let the small demon be, concentrating on the bigger demoness as she dashed at him. Silver was tired, but what more he was furious. He let out a small roar. He spread a small shield in front of himself before the demoness' jab could land. The impact sent him back, but he didn't fall on his back. The shield absorbed part of the force, but Silver's hands still tingled.

' _Is that thing strong like the fake priest?'_

Crestia didn't let him take a rest, sending one punch after another. However, her enemy was agile, so her attacks hit only air.

The psychic leaped in the air, landing on a lamp. With one glance he saw the demoness turned around, not giving him any space to recuperate. Silver hissed, getting down before the lamp was completely bent to the ground. Its top was crushed against the stone. Small sparks of electricity appeared before the light completely died out, and a small ring fell out, rolling a short distance before it tilted to the side.

Both fighters were staring at each other, not moving, evaluating their opponent.

' _So it's not that stupid to fight blindly,'_ Silver thought.

That was good since he could think of a plan. His power was mostly drained, and even the slightest hit could cause him a considerable amount of pain. On the other hand, this specimen seemed to lack any real speed.

' _So-!'_

He almost bit his tongue as the demoness' mace tail hit the ground. Cracks spread on all sides, and Crestia leaped forward with surprising agility.

Silver hissed in his mind, pivoting to avoid the worst outcome. While he avoided being pierced by the horns, one still scratched his side, bringing out blood.

' _Dang creature! It was scheming all the time!'_ It was just a scratch, but it still ticked him off.

The demoness dug her claws into stones, leaving traces. Despite her size she swiftly turned around, dashing on all fours forward. Almost too late Silver noticed she got faster. He barely rolled to the safety, feeling Crestia's horn again scratched him.

He let out a sharp breath, quickly stood on his legs and moved to the center of the street. His tightened fist held a certain object from the ground. With it, he might have a chance for a decisive hit.

Their eyes locked for a moment before the next attack was commenced. It was another frontal attack, and he felt almost bored jumping over her when his stomach had a close meeting with the mace-tail. A sharp pain spread across his whole body.

He clenched his teeth, preventing a scream to escape, but the saliva went through the small gaps.

Since Crestia's attacks appeared to be simple, he completely forgot about the tail. Silver's body flew about ten meters back before it hit the ground. A burning feel overcame his stomach, and he couldn't help it but curl up. There was no air in his lungs since it was pushed out with the hit.

He couldn't concentrate, and his enemy was just a few quick strides away. The psychic needed to act fast. He balled his fist more, almost crushing the item inside.

A smirk appeared on Crestia's face, knowing the victory was just one punch away. The huge body overcame the small distance and stood above the unmoving exorcist. She knew all it took was one punch to finish him off. She was angry at him for hurting her baby brother and for preventing her from going after the black priest Eclipse spoke off.

A clenched fist was raised into the air just a second away from finishing Silver off. Crestia wasn't the only one hiding aces. Silver threw the object he was hiding in his palm toward her face.

The demoness couldn't stop herself from looking at it when the sudden light hit her. She shouted, covering her face, but it was too late. Her body instinctively stepped back.

' _Good!'_ Silver barked in his mind as he was gathering his remaining energy in his palms.

The demoness roared, and her fist headed the agent's way. Crestia didn't back down as he imagined but instead counterattacked. Silver had no time to build his offense either defense.

The arm suddenly stopped an inch in front of his face, shaking. A mightier but immediately muffled roar came from the demoness' throat as her body was entangled by shining chains.

The agent of The Order quickly stood up, spotting heavily breathing Gold on the other side of the street. His eyes widen as he understood what just happened.

His partner threw at the last moment a small binding seal, but that wouldn't last out for long. The bulky demoness had an insane amount of raw power, and the chains started to break.

The hedgehog rolled the demoness' body on the side, surprised how heavy it was. He engulfed his fist in his psychic power and strongly hit her temple. He repeated a few times, to be sure her brain shook enough to cause unconsciousness. She struggled, but her brain soon refused to work.

Only now the exorcist could exhale in relief. He looked at Gold, who didn't move, nodding at her. The physical combat wasn't her specialty, so she needed more time to catch a breath. She slowly came closer, checking his bruised face with fingers.

"Those are just small-Ouch!" he yelled as his cheek was pinched, twisted, and pulled at the same time.

He didn't try to struggle, fully knowing the medium was rightfully angry at him. After long seconds, her fingers released him leaving the spot red and sore.

"I'm sorry," he mumbled.

"I'm… just glad you are alive," she muttered, wiping new and old tears alike.

She looked at the demoness. "What is this? And what was that light?"

"Some demon I still have a use for," he slightly growled, sounding and looking a bit funny with that red cheek of his. "And I generated the light thanks to the energy ring from the broken lamp," he gestured his head that way. "I put my power inside to power it up a bit," he hissed. "But that stupid demon instead of backing up went after me. Without you, I would be in a lot of pain."

She nodded, realizing she got here in the last second. "I don't suppose it was this fight that caused you so many injuries," she eyed him.

Gold knew her partner well. Despite this demoness looked strong and hard to beat, Silver had defeated more scary looking ones. She had yet to see a fight he would finish bruised, scratched or with tattered clothes. The tenrec could sense his inner energy was mostly depleted which never happened.

"Let's move it to our house, once it's secured I'll tell you the rest."

He was sure that would end in Gold lecturing him about his hot head. Especially not letting her know or ask for backup before everything went south.

He used his power to pick the motionless body and the tenrec, to let her rest a bit, and headed to their house that was a good mile away… and in his state, it was a long journey. There he put the demoness in one circle in the cellar, that was created beforehand by The Order and made sure to properly bind it to that place.

When he returned, he found Gold preparing very early morning tea. If those clock on the wall were right, it was almost four hours in the morning. No wonder he felt tired. He gladly sat in the armchair, waiting for the tea to be done.

Once it was served, he didn't touch it. The tenrec woman smiled a bit since her partner was soundly sleeping. She covered him with a blanket and moved her bedding on the sofa, to be close… just in case he would wake up and get this weird idea about getting killed.

When Gold woke up in the late but human hour, her partner was gone, but this time he left a note he is in the cellar. She used the time to turn her coffee face into something presentable, not to mention her quills were in one mess. As she was in the bathroom standing in front of the mirror, she picked up the comb to straight her quills. Her face had a deep frown, turning it into an older one.

Her piercing gaze wasn't meant for her face or quills, but for Silver. It hurt her he didn't inform her via telepathy. Even if it wasn't his specialty, he was still able to connect with her.

She sighed. Some things would never change just like his stubborn nature, hothead, and a strong desire for the perfect success. She finished the grooming, and went to make a new tea, and have a small breakfast in the living room. The psychic came after a few minutes later.

Silver sighed. He knew his partner was angry at him, and now was the time to face his punishment.


	33. Silver Darkness (8-5--10)

Silver bit his lip, before deciding to spill the beans.

"Yesterday evening, I was planning to take a small stroll, to relax, take my mind off the things."

The medium nodded, encouraging him to continue.

"During it, I have met the fake priest." He took a sip of the lukewarm green tea. "I never expected to have such luck."

He noticed his hand was shaking a bit, so he quickly put the cup back before Gold could notice.

"With a little trick, I was able to fool him into following me into the catacombs."

"Wait," the tenrec interrupted him, "were you planning to lure him into the circle?"

There was a suspicion the priest was possessed so this would work. Well, even a normal person could be captured, but doing it would result in a severe punishment if done against an innocent person.

The psychic showed agreement. "Yeah, underground are circles that can bind normal people as well, and since there was a chance of him being possessed, I decided to use them," he answered, reading her concerns. "Once there, I had chained him, he was completely within my grasp."

The hand that was resting on his right knee started to crumble the pants. Gold's blue eyes couldn't overlook it. That was a clear signal something went wrong… horribly wrong. The medium waited for her partner to continue.

"There was a cross around his neck… I pulled it off… and released hell."

"Hell?" Her eyes widen. He never used that word to describe a situation no matter how bad it seemed.

"Yes," he nodded, "That priest was never a possessed man… or person to the matter of fact… but demon all along."

The tenrec put on the table visibly shaking cup. "But that's impossible. It can't just be. No demon could live on the holy ground," she shook her quills widely. "Much less to use that gun."

"I know, it truly is a puzzle," he gnawed on his thumb. "But that's not all, his aura was so strong my own was rotting underneath it. He trashed me…" a strong hiss escaped his throat. "… like I was just some rag doll."

"But… But if he was so strong and savage… why is this city so… quiet? And that town too!" she exclaimed.

"That's the thing," he shrugged his shoulder, resuming where he left off, "The cross I pulled started to shine, and its light was the only thing withstanding his power to the point of hurting him. The cross then followed him to seal him once more."

There were still many answers eluding him. Like how could that seal change his personality? Why did his own power drive him nuts? Who put that cross around his neck? There was no doubt it had to be someone powerful. However, in that case how come The Order, namely he, had no information about such event? He sighed, proceeding further with his story.

"Whatever, the demon still managed to escape that place, getting out of my reach." He let out a loud sigh. "In my anger, I tried to find the way he escaped, but I met two demons, and one shouted the black priest is dangerous. I snapped and without thinking I tried to capture it."

"And that's basically where I found you, right?" finished Gold.

"Yes, the demoness, we captured, threw the smaller one away… far away," he growled. "Now this one is our only lead."

He ran his fingers through his quills, and a silent hiss escaped him. He messed this up big time!

"Silver, we have to inform the main office of The Order," she said with a firm voice.

This was no longer a small problem.

The young psychic frowned, biting his lip, he looked away. Even if this looked bad, he wasn't going to ask for help. The fake priest only surprised him. Next time he would get him for sure!

Silver picked one Lotus biscuit, smelling its delicious aroma. A second later, it fell from his fingers. His eyes shot open.

"Wait… Wait…" he mumbled before he shouted, "We can still make it!" He jumped on his feet.

Gold would say something, but he started to stride back and forth from one wall to another. There was no doubt he got an idea, so she let him march back and forth until he stopped.

"We can still find the priest… on our own." He tightly balled his fist.

The tenrec lifted her eyebrow. "How exactly?"

He turned toward her. "That small demon was terrified. It means it met the fake priest and at some point it probably… no, definitely exposed that hidden demon. The small one somehow survived… That half-rotten wing!" He snapped his fingers as another puzzle piece fell on its place. "It must have belonged to it!" Silver started to shout, letting his excitement control his body, he didn't notice one detail that wasn't adding up.

"And what more, that bulky demoness protected the smaller one. That means there is some connection between them! We can use it to our advantage! If I can't make the one we have to talk, then we just need to lure the other one!"

He jerked his head. "But… is it still alive?"

He started to strongly gnaw on his thumb, getting lost in his brainwork. He felt gentle fingers on his face… the pinched cheek twitched.

"Let's try it," said soothing voice.

"Gold you mean…?" he looked at her astonished.

The medium nodded. "Yeah, it goes against my better judgment, but let's try your plan. Even if we inform The Order now, it will take days before any help will arrive.

You said both demons are hurt. The priest may have left the city, but the other will be hiding somewhere. You want to use its keen nose to track the black priest, right?"

Silver fingers were put on the golden ones. "Yes, that's my plan. I want to try it this night, if it won't work, I'll personally inform the office."

Since it was settled, they headed to upper room functioning as a study, where maps and other material concerning the city were stored. Finding the right map wasn't a problem. It showed them where circles were placed, but for security reasons, their coordination was written in code. The psychic glanced at the wall clock.

' _It's almost three… we have about five hours to get ready before the sun sets down.'_

They spent the rest of the day setting the stage, not knowing that about that time Eclipse, the demon Silver was searching for, was found and tended by the very fake priest he wanted to catch. As the agent duo poured hours into their work a night had come, and in the abandoned building something big was about to happen.

"State your wish, I shall fulfill it," announced Eclipse, having a firm voice.

Amy and Sonic held their breath, looking at the ebony priest until he finally spoke, "Tell me your name."

All of them were silent. That was it? Why did Father Shadow ask for something so simple and meaningless? How was that supposed to help them?

However, it must have been a big deal for demons since Eclipse's face turned pale and his eyes widen. His body started to shake, and he cowered.

"A name?" Sonic asked, confused by the question and the demon's behavior.

Shadow nodded and started to explain, "When I was starting as a priest I had, let's say…" it looked like he was embarrassed to remember it, scratching his muzzle, "… very interesting conversation with one of the senior priests. This man claimed all demons have a name, and if you get it, you can make that demon your slave. It can't hurt or attack you, and it has to listen to your every command."

"Then if we know it, this monster will never hurt anyone anymore!" blabbered Sonic, clenching his fists in an excited manner. Now that was some good news.

Eclipse pushed himself to the barrier almost looking like a pancake. "No… I can't do that… Not that," he whispered while his body sweated.

"That's good too," said the boy in mocking tone. "You can stay here for years for all I care! Your sis is just another monster anyway! It will be better if both of you are dead!" Sonic shouted his true feelings, just because he threw him a few cookies didn't mean he liked him or something.

That made the demon furious, and he jumped on him only to slam into the barrier. A loud heard yelp escaped his lips, and after shaking the worst from his head, he went back trying to break on his own.

Amy watched him sad. Her fist tightly gripped the hem of her dress. Was it really impossible?

"But…" she slowly started, "it's just a name, right? It's just a word we use to call each other."

"Not entirely," argued a bit Shadow. "For people, it may be just that, but for demons, the name is the definition of their very soul… or existence," he quickly added a different word as he glanced pouting Sonic.

The priest looked at the panicking demon, who was scratching the surface of the barrier.

"Demon, you are too weak. You won't escape this place," the ebony hedgehog reminded him.

"Shut up! Shut up!"

Eclipse started to bang the shield with his head. It was making him dizzy, but he knew his sis was in danger. There was no way he could leave her alone especially after… she… she… More tears started to fall down his cheeks.

"Then you give me no choice," sighed the priest, and approached the circle.

Amy caught his wrist, looking worried and begging him with eyes not to do it.

"Amy, he won't change!"

Sonic grabbed her hand in a bit barbaric way, forcefully dragging her away. She silently hissed in pain.

"You promised to let Father Shadow end him if he won't cooperate!"

"He is just desperate to save his sister!" she shouted back. The pink hedgehog had tears in her eyes.

"This has to be done," Shadow muttered, more to himself than to anybody, entering the circle.

He half-knelt, putting his hands on demon's neck. Snapping it would kill him the fastest way, there would be an only momentary pain.

' _So small,'_ thought the priest as he realized the height difference he never had time to notice. He was… really a child.

The demon's body was shaking, and salt was in the air from all the tears that flew down his yellow eyes.

The ebony fingers tightened their grip a bit, feeling the adrenaline that was now surging through the demon's whole body. However, the fear seemed to be stronger, preventing Eclipse to take any action.

' _Am I…'_ the demon thought, _'going to die… for real?'_

He was so scared… terrified… this horror couldn't be put into words. He only felt his heart widely pumping blood into his whole body. His neck was burning, but the rest of his body felt cold and distant. Drumming in his ears was drowning all other sounds, he couldn't hear anything anymore.

'Is this… what others felt?'

A stream of memories filled his brain, showing him old and young, women and men, good or bad people moments before his fangs ended their lives. His lower lip trembled.

Neither Shadow or Eclipse had an idea there was another struggle behind their back. Amy kicked Sonic in the shin, making him jump on one leg. She turned, dashing toward the duo, where the priest was about to kill the demon.

Before the young girl could shout, the demon felt a strong pang in his head, like something was about to be released, but that one word stopped it, "Eclipse!"

The child demon turned to her. His eyes wide with horror.


	34. Silver Darkness (9-0--10)

The demon shouted as something formed around his neck, and he started to trash around.

The priest leaped back. His black eyes focused on the demon, but no matter how much he stared, he couldn't understand what just happened.

Eclipse wriggled so much he tumbled over, but he ignored the pain in his head as he had a bigger problem to handle.

"What's this!" the small demon shouted.

His claws scratched metallic collar that appeared out of thin air. It was covering his whole neck and seemed to be made of ordinary material. However, the claws couldn't leave a mark, and the scratching hardly produced any sounds.

Shadow looked back at Amy. The girl was sitting on the floor with wide eyes. She was as clueless as him. Her blue eyes trailed down to her right wrist where she got a similar bracelet.

With Amy not trying to pull it down, the ebony hedgehog could properly inspect it. There wasn't anything strange, its corners were round like with any bracelet, and the surface was of a light gray color.

Amy slowly looked back at the demon, whispering, "E... clipse?"

The demon stopped moving for a short while, allowing Shadow to notice the collar had rough edges like chains for prisoners. He wondered why they were different.

"How do you know my name?" Eclipse barked and renewed his attempts to get rid of the collar.

A small pang in the head made Amy wince. "It just appeared in my mind."

She slowly got up, dusting her clothes. Her fingers inspected the bracelet, finding no lock or means for removal. She didn't give up and turned her hand in all possible angles, looking for any clue.

Sonic carefully approached her. His shin was still in pain. Who would have thought girls had such sharp shoes?

' _Appeared…'_ Shadow thought a bit. _'Could her ability to see a person's soul allows her to know demon's name as well?'_

Such an ability was beyond his knowledge. There was no doubt something like that had to be rare. She was able to change the way the fights were lead against demons. Now some could become soldiers for The Order.

The last thought made him frown. While demons were cruel creatures, he was strongly against any type of slavery. However, he was getting ahead of himself. For now, they had no knowledge of how her supernatural power worked and how it could affect her. For all he knew, it could shorten her lifespan to mere years.

His head jerked as a sudden realization hit his brain. 'Wait! She had been held home her whole life! Was maybe this the reason?'

If her parents had a suspicion she possessed some super-natural disposition, separating her from the world was their means of protection. He held his chin in a thinking manner. But what now? He was sure The Order would be happy to accept her as s student, or not?

For a strange reason, he had certain doubts about The Order now. He pondered if it wasn't because of his recent incident with their exorcist or the fact he was a monster. He slightly shook his head. This wasn't the time to worry about this.

The Order was full of strange people, if anything else, they could at least help her to get a grasp on her powers. That could save her life because there were no doubts demons would soon show an interest in her.

"Get it off me!" Eclipse shrieked, interrupting Shadow's torrent of thoughts.

The demon curled up, getting a help from his legs too, but it was still no use. The collar refused to budge.

Amy was also trying to get the bracelet down in a less wild manner.

"I don't know how!" she answered his order. Her eyes fell on the priest, asking a silent question.

He made a sheepish smile, shrugging his shoulders.

"So," Sonic slowly said, "he can't hurt us now?" He walked around the magic circle, so he saw Eclipse's eyes.

The demon was on his back. The bared teeth showed his frustration, and a glare shot toward the boy, responding to the small smirk on hedgehog's face.

"No."

Shadow's strong voice stopped Eclipse's movements, and the demon tensed as the priest approached the circle. The night creature backed from the priest ready to run. At the same time, it was aware escape was be impossible. The yellow eyes looked how the circle was easily crossed from outside, and the inscription was smudged.

The emitted light dimly flickered for a few times before it was gone. The demon's body fell on the side as the barrier was gone. Sonic jumped a bit back, startled.

"Now he has to listen to Amy," the priest continued his answer in a firm tone. "If he dares to rebel, the collar will make sure to put him in his place."

To be honest, he had no idea what would the collar do, he was merely bluffing. He only needed to scare the demon enough to force him into submission. Yet again, another method he disliked to use, but this situation called for extra measures.

Amy approached the demon child that quickly curled up, covering its face.

"Don't be afraid, I don't want to hurt you." She knelt, patting his head.

Eclipse slightly peeked outside. His eyes were wide open. Why did she insist on being kind toward him? He wanted to eat her! Even now she still looked so delicious, but he had to refrain from any aggression.

The wrong action could lead to intense pain. He hated when he was hurt. It made him feel weak and small. All he wanted was to be big and strong, acknowledged by everyone in Hell.

With each pat, his breathing calmed down, and a strange sensation spread through his whole body. It filled him with warmth and feeling of safety he never experienced before. However, at the same time, there was something nagging him behind his consciousness. He just couldn't put his finger on it.

For now, he let it go, enjoying the gentle touch. Soon his whole body relaxed.

"Can I see your injuries to check on them?" the girl asked.

Eclipse's arm shot toward his legs. For a moment, he forgot he was wounded. The pain wasn't unbearable since he didn't move. He glanced at her with a bit of worry, but he nodded after a few seconds.

She smiled. "I promise I'll be quick and it won't hurt." On a handkerchief, she put new bandages while slowly taking the old ones.

Sonic was watching them, pouting. He didn't want to admit it, but he was a bit jealous.

Shadow waited a bit before he entered the back room. He slowly put his tie down. With the demon pacified, he could now concentrate on a different task.

' _He said he has a sister.'_

His eyes darted toward an old mirror left on the wall. Its dusty surface hardly showed his reflection. His eyes closed a bit as he remembered his demonic face.

' _I guess it would be better if I find her first.'_ He unbuttoned the shirt, folded it and put it back into the suitcase. _'Or before she is found by that exorcist.'_ For some reason, he thought this might be why she didn't find them by now.

Little did he know the smell Eclipse picked up was deliberately released by this very silver man just an hour or so ago. However, before that, there were a few things he and his tenrec partner had to do.

The night started with the sun gone behind the horizon when they finished their last preparations.

"What a nice night," Silver, wearing his official uniform, commented.

The wind was getting stronger and more clouds appeared, hiding the crescent moon from time to time. The exorcist could feel the anticipation in the air.

"I have finished my part," announced Gold, stepping closer. While her dress seemed to be hardly made for combat, it was durable and provided cleverly hidden pockets for seals.

She checked the status of the big circle around this plain. It was set up centuries ago, but its condition didn't deteriorate over the years. The tenrec studied how it was made to properly connect her circles to it.

It was amazing how people of the past were able to create something so complex. Its purpose was in detecting demons, but there was nobody who could maintain it. Such big circles required a lot of inner energy, so The Order was forced to abandon this site.

During that time big branches were established that substituted their functions, and with a slightly declining number of attacks, such big defense wasn't needed. The world was no longer facing the biggest wave of demons, and the number of agents grew as well.

"Thank you." He gestured his acknowledgment. "With those barriers, we will be able to capture that creature. I'll take care of the rest, you should sit on your post so…" he silently said, thinking about his next steps.

"So I can inform you if anything enters and be hidden from prying eyes of the unholy creatures," she finished the sentence. "I know what to do, I'm only worried about you."

Silver's face slightly turned pink. He cleared his throat.

"Don't worry. That demon is weak and badly hurt. This is more like a shot in the dark, so I hope it will bring some results," he muttered at the end, feeling ashamed his plan had such an obvious flaw.

The most frustrating was the fake priest might have already left the city. No, the exorcist was sure he was gone, but they could use the small demon to track the black priest later.

But if this would fail, he would personally inform the head of The Order about his failure and take full responsibility. Gold had no chance of stopping him, there was no need for her to be punished.

The said tenrec was watching her partner for a bit, before heading to the designed post. While her fighting abilities weren't greatest, she wasn't weak. She was able to defend against thugs or thieves, but a confrontation with a demon would definitely end badly for her. Any hit to her head would render her defenseless.

She sighed as she approached her spot, sitting down. She often wished to be more useful, but right now she could only support her partner. She poured her inner energy into the ground, activating her post.

The light quickly dimmed. Now her mind was connected to the big circle and the ones she created. In the next hours, she could only wait. The big barrier would send ripple if any demon would cross its border. Apart of this, she gained remote access to her circles inside which always proved useful during their missions.

Meanwhile, Silver finished adjusting his post. His ears perked as Crestia behind him jerked with the chains bounding her to the ground. The exorcist smirked. She was reacting the way he wanted.

However, he was also astonished by her stamina. The inscriptions on the chains and below her were sucking her energy from the first moment she was captured. If they would have a way how to use demonic energy, he would consider leaving his one to live as a living battery.

He turned to her, seeing she chewed the chain in her mouth.  
"Now you feel like talking?" he asked, mocking her. "Well, too late. If I can't get you to spill the beans, let's see if the other one will come to me instead!"

She renewed her struggle, getting fed up with her prison.

In Silver's hand appeared the psionic whip he liked to use during tortures. A few strikes drew fresh blood. The scent filled the air, and the exorcist licked his lips.

He contacted his partner, _"Gold, you can release the first seal."_

He could do it on his own, but Gold was better in this regard.

" _Alright,"_ she answered through telepathy.

The trapping circle around Crestia slightly shone, and the first layer was gone. The seals trapping demons made sure to keep any of their smell inside to not give away their position.

The wind blew, taking the fresh smell of the blood to the city.

' _If that demon is still alive and is sharing some bond with this one, it won't ignore this!'_

He moved away from Crestia. His fingers jerked as he put them behind his back. The worst part of the plan was in front of him; waiting. He hated that, but this was something he brought upon himself. In the case this wouldn't work, he had a small back-up plan for lifting his mood; a slow and painful death for this demoness.

Crestia smelled the change in his aura. Her heart skipped a beat when his body was suddenly gone.

' _What-!'_

Her nose sniffed like crazy, but all the traces were gone. She had heard about the circles and barriers, but she always thought those were like toys for weaklings. She experienced the oversight of her own body. Her strength was fueled by her anger, but all of it was sucked from her.

Her lungs made a few deep breaths before she jerked her body, but the chains refused to break. Stubbornness was in her blood, so giving up wasn't in her vocabulary if she would have one.

The minutes dragged on, and her prison withstood all the attempts to break free. In the end, she was gasping for air, and the night chill got under her skin. The blood from her back slid down, watering the grass beneath.

She was tired. Sleep tried to control her mind, but she gnawed on her lip, dragging out more blood.

'Pipsqueak… don't come here!'

In her eye appeared a tear. There was no way Eclipse could ever defeat this one.

A dark figure was slowly getting closer to the big circle, not knowing what fate had in store for it. It was none other than Shadow, the demonic priest, now walking only in his pants. The tickling grass on his bare feet didn't bother him. Not even the night chill could make his body shiver.

His thoughts were swirling around his ability to see so far during a night. When he focused, he could count leaves on trees. It made him nervous, but he tried to take it as positive.

' _This is the place the smell is coming from,'_ the ebony priest thought.

His hand subconsciously grabbed the cross around his neck. He might have decided to, let's say, rescue Eclipse's sister, but he still had his doubts. There was no guarantee she wouldn't attack, and her relations ship with Eclipse might not be so friendly as he assumed.

He should have questioned the demon more but now was too late. However, given Eclipse's reactions, he dared to assume they weren't enemies. In any case, he decided to check on her was a good idea. He might be able to persuade her to cooperate.

He deeply inhaled, trapping the air inside for a few seconds, before he let it out. Now he needed to do one more thing.

' _How was Amy saying it?'_

He let go of his cross. Its metallic body shimmered in the moonlight.

' _Let it flow.'_

With another inhale he reached inside, feeling the swirling energy.

' _It's part of you...'_

He wished it wasn't. He wished he wasn't a monster, but there was no use to deny it. The foreign energy poured outside. It enveloped his whole body, silently bubbling in his ears.

It took a few minutes, but his fingers and toes were armed with claws, his tail grew longer, and all teeth transformed into fangs. That itself was the most annoying part of the change as his jaws were tense after it.

He rubbed his joints as he slowly opened his eyes. His ears pricked. No bellow ringed in them. Nothing around was blurred, so he was still standing. He looked over his back. The wings were bigger, but they at least weren't huge.

He looked around. The details of the leaves were in front of him without a need to focus.

' _Good,'_ he sighed, _'I feel completely in control.'_

He listened to the wind. He wasn't looking for enemies, but for the voice. He was almost disappointed it didn't return to taunt him. He shook his head. Now wasn't the time to be sarcastic.

His nostrils inhaled the fresh smell of blood. _'I assume it's safe to say this is a trap.'_

If Eclipse's sister wasn't captured, she would definitely search for him by now. He didn't want to meet this man again, but he had to face him and his fears.


	35. Silver Darkness (9-5--10)

While was Shadow slowly entering the trap, a small group was moving toward the same place as well. In its lead was nobody but the speedy hedgehog Sonic with a rope around his chest. The other end led toward the sky to gliding Eclipse. Amy was in his arms, and her face hardly showed any sign of fear.

On the other hand, Eclipse was nervous. How could this be? Why did this girl had such a crazy idea? Shortly after the priest left, she suggested to follow him once she finished bandaging his legs. She claimed Mr. Shadow had no intention of returning to them. It seemed he expected his death or capture.

The demon figured what their reactions would be. Mortals always made a big deal when one of them died or got hurt. However, at this moment, he could understand it a bit. He also didn't want to lose his sister or see her hurt.

The boy suggested taking the cart with them, but Amy was against it. It wasn't built for speed, and it was old so it could easily break. Eclipse listened to them, taking a note the boy was named Sonic. He hoped he wouldn't be chained to that girl for long, but remembering their names might be useful during that time.

His thoughts were interrupted when Amy asked him for any suggestion. There was no way he would want to be close to Shadow, but he didn't want to try what pain the collar could bestow upon him. He mumbled something about wings, and it was enough to spark this idea in Amy.

Sonic bickered with her for a bit, but the girl refused to listen and carried this plan. In the end, the boy had to comply since he didn't figure out anything better.

Eclipse sighed, feeling the wind in his face was good, but it didn't lift his mood. His eyes checked on Amy. She was so vulnerable he needed just one move to cut her neck. She would die without noticing it. He gulped. Would he die too? Would the collar prevent him from doing so? Would it punish him?

Another pain was the last thing he needed. His legs were better than he expected. They healed faster than his wing before, but they weren't ripped, so that might play a role in it. The warm feeling coming from Amy could also lessen the pain. He might be able to walk without any problems in a day or two at this rate.

"Eclipse?"

His head jerked. Amy was looking at him. He stared at her without noticing, and that scared him. Anything now could trigger the collar. He sharply looked away.

"Are you alright?" she gently asked. "Do you need to rest?"

"N-No! I'm fine!" he sharply barked, biting his tongue for such a harsh answer.

His cheek was gently caressed.

"You can tell me. I'll listen."

"It's nothing," he quickly replied.

Eclipse needed to be perfect. He had to fulfill every order flawlessly. Only then he would avoid punishments, and hopefully find a way to get rid of this bond.

After a while, Amy said, "It's beautiful."

He twitched a bit.

"Do you always see the world like this?"

He turned a bit towards her, looking around.

"Well, yes."

"I wish I could fly. Leaving all my worries on the ground, aiming at the endless sky."

Eclipse followed her eyes. There was just plain with some trees and Rosemary City at the right. The sky was glittering with stars when they weren't covered by clouds that kept gathering. They seemed heavy it might rain soon.

The yellow eyes slightly closed. It was true, flying for no reason helped him to relax. Once he created his small pets, he took them with him in a basket since it would take some time before they would be able to keep up with him.

Most of the time he was hunting, but he usually took a day off after the collecting day and explored his new hunting ground or lounged. He bit his lip, gnawing on it. How was he supposed to complete his task now?

"You are worried, about your sister, aren't you?"

Once more Amy shattered his thinking process.

"W-Why do you think so?"

It was one of the many reasons he was nervous. He wished this was just a nightmare. A mere dream to end soon.

"I can tell," she replied, keeping her power from him for the time being.

She didn't want to keep it a secret, but she wasn't ready to talk about it in details yet. Her words only expressed the bare minimum she understood. Mr. Shadow especially warned her not to talk about it in front of Eclipse. It was dangerous no matter how much docile he might look.

While Amy and Eclipse were deep in their thoughts, Sonic kept running. He was also thinking about the last days. Everything changed so fast, and he had no idea how he should cope with it. Father Shadow was still scaring him, and part of him constantly yelled at him to run away.

He tried to push it away, remembering all the good times they shared. It reminded him of his kindness, the lessons he learned, or the days they spent exploring the forest. He didn't want to lose his second father. The only family he had now. Being alone was terrified him.

He shook his head, kicking the image of the priest's second face away. In his heart, he knew Father Shadow was a nice person, but his brain continued to dish out all the unsettling images.

He looked over his shoulder. He didn't trust Eclipse for more than ten reasons, but the collar made sure he wouldn't try anything funny. For now, he was behaving and cooperated with them. The boy was aware of how dangerous this situation was, but Amy ensured him she wouldn't be a damsel in distress.

When they were looking for a rope, Amy told him how she wrestled with the demon for the first time. Sonic giggled when she finished her story. In return, he shared his experience but refrained from mentioning the not so grand finale.

Yes, this was crazy, irresponsible, and insane, but they couldn't be picky and the time wasn't in their favor.

A tug on his left arm brought him back to reality. Both his hands had thin strings attached, and Eclipse's directed his path. Sonic changed his direction, hoping Father Shadow was alright.

Meanwhile, Shadow entered the circle. Some miles away a certain tenrec woman jerked.

'What?' Her eyes shot open.

The ripple she felt hit her hard. Was it the demon Silver spoke about? The reaction of the circle was too big for that. It had to be something else that crossed the line.

She closed her eyes, gathering more information. She couldn't let her partner jump into a fight without any preparations. The mark on her forehead shone, and her quills gently fluttered around her. With her inner energy, she sent pulses of her power through the ground.

She could sense a huge amount of energy approaching the center of the big circle. It was proceeding slowly with caution. With each step and pulse she let out, she collected enough data,

" _Silver!"_ Gold called him when she finished her research.

" _What is it?"_

The answer came immediately, and Silver's nervousness was visible in his voice. He didn't expect to be called with such strength as that meant trouble on her end. A problem too close to her.

" _The circle was crossed, but it's not the small demon,"_ she gasped as a shiver ran down her spine.

Shadow had no idea his position was known to his enemies. There was no sound that would alert him, the night was merely a background for insects songs. The tingling feeling in his feet could hardly mean danger. He was sure it was from the grass. Something sharp pricked him a few steps back. There was no need to start to panic.

Yet the feeling of immediate danger refused to leave.

By now his nose was full of different aromas and smells. He would swear somebody farted ten miles ahead. The drop of water that fell from the distant tree didn't escape him either. Yet he was unable to detect where the silver exorcist was.

It was driving him crazy, and the voice snickered from beyond his consciousness. There was no way the demoness would be left alone. Everything screamed this was a trap however he could only go forward. He wanted to keep his promise, albeit helping a demon couldn't be considered a good deed.

He widely shook his head. Why couldn't his brain leave him alone for a minute? This was crazy. No, this was insane.

His palms were sweaty, so he wiped them into his pants. Too late he realized Amy could chew him for it. Well, facing her anger might be a better option than to face the exorcist.

This random thought triggered an analysis, and Shadow's brain for a bit forgot about the predicament he was in. However, the conclusion wasn't any better.

Facing the exorcist was a better option. It won by a huge gap.

His lips twisted into a small smile.

'If nothing else, I would rather meet with this man when I can expect him.'

Getting jumped on in the middle of bathing or on the toilet would be really awkward.

With a bit lighter head, he continued forward. At this point, he noticed his steps were awfully quiet. He didn't try to walk any differently than before, yet he was sure not many people would hear him. Just like in his town where he often surprised others without trying.

His slightly red eyes fell on a heap in front of him. The smell of blood was coming from it. There was no doubt she was Eclipse's sister. The walk in the park was over, now to face her.

He tried to approach her slowly, circling her position. Her body was covered by scars and fresh wounds and held on place by dimly shining chains. Shadow had no doubt they were part of the circle under her.

His eyes traveled the plain around her. The silver exorcist was nowhere to be seen or smelled. There was only a small bush, and only a child could hide in it.

Another random image showed him the exorcist could be hidden under it in a hole with the bush attached to his head. Jumping into the fight with that it made the priest snicker. It was hilarious.

The demoness' body jerked, and his ears twitched. She noticed him. He shooed all unnecessary thoughts away and sat in front of her.

Her claws dug into the ground, but the circle remained untouched. It meant breaking it from outside might not be the easiest task either. Her yellow eyes frowned at him and muffled sounds escaped from her throat.

"Pipsqueak is sending me," he softly whispered to calm her down.

Crestia's eyes widen.

'What!' she shouted in her mind. 'He is… But!'

If there wasn't a chain in her mouth, she would bite her tongue. This wasn't time for thinking. Her eyes gestured him her message, but given how baffled Shadow's face was, he was dumb.

"I'll get you out of here," he continued to whisper. "Please, come with me. I wish to speak with you." He tried to sound calm, but her eyes kept moving to one spot on her right side.

Shadow's body jerked, moving away. The spot in front of Crestia was smashed by a long whip.

"What?" the priest barked as he landed on all fours with no time to ponder why it felt so natural.

He stared in front of himself as the whip made of blueish energy retracted into thin air. His ebony fur bristled as the silver exorcist slowly walked from nothingness. His eyes darted toward a few glowing letters on the ground.

He never saw anything like this, but he could guess what that barrier was capable of. Unknowingly he silently growled, his body tensed ready to strike.

"What a pleasant surprise," said Silver with a cold tone. "I was hunting for the small one, but I got the fake priest instead."

Shadow jerked his body, standing up. He gestured for the other to stop. "I only want to talk with you."

"No worries," the exorcist slightly chuckled. "I'll give you a plenty room for words when I question you!" He barked the last word, and the whip whistled through the air at tremendous speed.

The priest dodged it in the last moment, yet he felt his skin burned. "Wait! Please stop!"

He tried to convince him to hear him out, but Silver was enjoying this too much to stop for tea time. The whip slashed, hitting the ground. The dirt shot toward the sky, the grass was ripped to pieces.

Shadow hissed. He quickly figured out the exorcist was aiming at his legs to immobilize him. The priest's fur bristled and refused to lay down. The attacks forced him to retreat a bit with each step. He rolled to the left, continuing on all four.

Silver's eyes sparked with a sadistic glint. He was getting bored with just using a whip. He lifted his hand and created a bunch of his all the time favorite spears and threw them.

The spears rained down and only thanks to a miracle neither hit Shadow's body, they merely closed him like in a cage.

"Can't you, please, hear me out?"

"Shut up, you dirty trash!" the psychic barked. "The only thing you will plead for will be your death!"

The whip transformed into a sword, and Silver jumped in for close combat. The blade cut the spears like nothing but stopped against raised forearm engulfed by green flames. The psychic quickly leaped back.

"Talking, huh?" he mocked. "You are just a monster hiding its hideous form!"

Shadow's body shook. He raised his arm based on instinct. He had no idea how to control the green flames, they appeared on their own. Silver's words stabbed him in the heart. Even now he still hoped he was normal.

Silver stabbed forward, and the priest avoided it. He got in front of the exorcist. His fist tightened, and he jabbed. A pain spread through his knuckles as they collided with a blue shield made by Silver's other hand.

'He can use both arms?' A quick thought ran through Shadow's mind with a hint of amazement. This person was skilled.

Forget about materializing an object with one's spiritual power, that's a great achievement on its own. However, being able to use two different spiritual weapons pushed him into a new league.

A smirk decorated the psychic's face as he pulled his sword back, running its blade through Shadow's shoulder. Blood spurted out, droplets landed on the silver fur.

The priest yelped, grabbed his wound and stepped back. It was burning, and a bloodlust filled his mind. Ripping the fool in front of him could quench his thirst. Not to mention, there was another breathing body just a few steps away.

While the duo was busy exchanging blows, Crestia tried to break her prison. She noticed the change in the air. Both mortals were leaving a smell that surrounded demons when they were aiming to kill. She had found it strange, but her struggle had top priority.

Her strength was mostly depleted, but her stubborn nature refused to lose. Her body jerked, and a cold sweat covered her body as Shadow landed in front of her. Gone was the gentle look in his eyes, there was a wild beast inside.

He flipped back, getting on all fours just in time to avoid a whip that left a hole and showered the demoness with dirt. Her eyes shot toward Shadow who mostly left the area of her peripheral vision. She only noticed green flames dancing around his hands. There was a crimson fur on his limbs, and she wasn't sure if he had it before.

A rain of spears covered the ground, but this time the priest shattered some on his retreat.

'It's so strong!' Silver thought, feeling a sweat appearing on his forehead.

He sent another row of spears, stopped Shadow from betting closer and forced him to move to the right.

" _Now, Gold!"_ he shouted at his partner through telepathy.

Once the priest touched the ground, it shone, engulfing him in the light. The electricity ran through his whole body, chirping like a flock of small birds. Chains spurted from the shining words.

Silver had a smug smile. They hadn't spent hours in making those small inscriptions for nothing. It was his plan to lure the demon into one of them. Its chains would make sure to secure him.

" _Silver..."_

He heard Gold calling him. Her voice was shaking.

Before he could answer, the chains broke.

Shadow was free.

The priest's fully red eyes stabbed Silver.

The real fight just began.


	36. Silver Darkness (10-10)

Gold was sitting on her post, gasping. Her breathing was sharp and loud. She never thought her circle could be breached so easily. It shook with her whole brain, severing the connection with all rings. Thankfully it only meant she wasn't able to monitor them otherwise they were still active.

The memories she tried to push away resurfaced, covering her body in a cold sweat. That priest was dangerous, but why he seemed so strange? When he entered, his aura was subtle, but now it was widely flickering like raging flames. She understood why her partner was so beaten up that night.

Her throat produced hoarse sounds in a clearing attempt. Her trust in magical circles she laid wavered. Fear crept inside her heart. Silver was in great danger.

Her hand touched her lap, sensing the shivering muscles. Gold hated this. Her fighting abilities were limited, but right now her partner might be in grave danger. It was obvious to her it wasn't just a threat coming from the fake priest.

Before her connection was severed, she noticed a change in Silver's aura. It wasn't the first time it happened. Whenever he had met a stronger opponent, he had tendencies to slowly corner it before delivering the last blow. Every time he had a satisfying smirk on his face for hours after it. It never stopped worrying her, but he never exhibited similar behavior toward any other person, so she let it be.

However, right now it might backfire. Any delays could result in serious injuries. She shook her head, pressing her temples. There was no time to dwell on the past. She needed to move to him. Her paper seals could give them an advantage. Controlling ground seal from a close distance was always better anyway. She should never agree to move so far away.

She was about the get up when a high pitched voice interrupted her, "I can't believe he just ditch us there! We were supposed to go together!"

Her ears perked, and her head snapped toward a small girl. Her expression was dark from the massive frown on her forehead. The clenched fists widely swung in the rhythm of her long strides.

'A child?' Gold was perplexed.

She was sure it was almost midnight by this time. Not to mention, this place was quite a distance from the city. Nobody was supposed to be here.

The angry girl was nobody but Amy, marching forward. She stared at Gold for a few seconds before she realized another person was near her.

"Ah," she gasped before forming a proper sentence. "I'm sorry." She did a curtsy. "I didn't wish to bother you."

The tenrec nodded, forgetting for a bit the barrier didn't make her invisible for normal people.

"That's alright, but why-" Her head jerked.

Gold's eyes fell on a closing figure walking behind Amy. She didn't wait for a second and darted forward. Her arms enveloped the girl, dragging her into the circle.

"What are you doing?" Amy pushed her a bit back, looking at her with knitted eyebrows.

Gold put a hand on her head in protecting manner.

"I'm sorry for startling you, but you are safe now."

The closing figure belonged to Eclipse who walked slowly due to pain in his legs. He couldn't get back into the air because there was nothing tall to jump from. Flapping with wings still shot a sharp pain through his body.

"What do you mean?" Amy asked, looking over her shoulder.

"Do you see that being outside?"

The girl turned around with Gold's hands gently resting on her shoulders.

After a nod from Amy, she continued, "That's a demon, but right now we are in a protective barrier that makes us invisible for it. Not even its nose can detect us."

"Really?"

Gold bobbed her head. Her right arm reached to one of the many hidden pockets to get a small paper charm out. They were called ofuda and were her main means of offense.

'With this, I can bind it.'

Amy slipped from her grasp the moment she wanted to toss it. Her mouth wasn't able to produce sounds, much less her brain to understand the child's action.

"Boo!" Amy shouted with stretched limbs.

"Kyagh!" Eclipse yelled, tumbling on his back.

The lass giggled. The demon hissed. Scaring him like this. He was supposed to scare others.

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry." She offered him a hand he reluctantly accepted.

'Must be an obedient demon!' he reminded himself the need to accept anything she would throw his way.

"Where did you disappear?" He flapped his wings, happy they weren't hurt.

She looked back. "There is this strange circle that makes anything inside invisible to a demon. The lady there told me about it." She turned back, sticking her tongue a bit. "So, I couldn't resist this small prank."

Gold was watching them. Their interaction was unnatural to say at least. Her eyes carefully inspected the demon. Its form was small, and it seemed weak. Her gaze fell on Eclipse's legs.

'They are bandaged?'

Pieces of information put together a picture in her head. Now she was sure this small demon was the one Silver wanted to capture. Finding another night creature with similarly hurt legs was unlikely.

"Nice lady," Amy called, interrupting her thoughts. "He won't hurt you. Eclipse is a friend."

Eclipse shivered, unused to be called by a name by her and from the fact, the emerged figure in front of him smelled like the silver exorcist. He surpassed the growl, recognizing an agent of The Order. He cowered behind Amy. She was the only one who could provide him with a cover.

"Who are you?" Gold asked, concealing the ofuda in her dress.

The pink girl did a curtsy. "My name is Amy Rose, and this is my friend Eclipse. Who is asking?"

The medium nodded. "I'm Gold the Tenrec. You know its name?"

She found it unlikely, it could be a nickname. However, how in that case the demon was forced to be so docile? He acted so scaredly, but she noticed how his body was tense. The bits about a story regarding demon's names resurfaced in her mind, but that was supposed to be just a legend.

Amy knitted her eyebrow a bit more. "Yes, and it's he. I believe it's rude to call a person it." She clenched her dress a bit.

Gold was puzzled why she insisted on calling such a dangerous creature he. Her eyes once more explored his body, glancing a metallic object around his neck.

"If it's its… I mean, his name," she quickly corrected herself since Amy pouted. "Then is that collar…" Gold didn't finish this sentence not sure how to do it.

All she could tell there was no malicious aura around it, so it couldn't be cursed.

The pink hedgehog girl slightly smiled with a weak blush creeping outside. "I think you can say it's the bond between us." Amy touched her right wrist.

Gold's eyes widen for a second and her heart skipped a beat. Through her feet, she sent out a small pulse to check on the girl's spiritual capacity. The response surprised her. She had never felt such aura. It was warm and bright but not blinding. The connection between her and demon was thick like a chain, yet it wasn't trapping them.

'Is she in such a tender age,' she thought for a bit, 'a demon tamer?' She only read about it in one book, and it provided only vague information.

She wanted to ask more when the silence of the night was disrupted by a loud scream.

"Mister Shadow!" shouted Amy, recognizing the voice.

She quickly ran in that direction. Eclipse followed her on all fours, as he could rest his legs a bit.

The tenrec was behind them, realizing she had forgotten about her partner. Her sensitive senses picked wild ripples coming from the central part.

The fight heated up with Shadow tapping more into his demonic powers that slowly clouded his mind. Silver answered with a dozen of spears, but each and everyone was shattered to pieces. The priest got so close his claws ripped through the white clothes.

A sharp pain ran through Shadow's side it cleared his brain from the worst haze. He stumbled back, blood escaping from his system. Two more points of pain erupted in his left leg, and he couldn't stop the bellow from escaping his lungs.

He fell on the ground, curling up. His other hand pressed the buttock. The heat ensured him he was still alive, but it also meant he was seriously injured. The fresh smell of blood filled his nostrils. The voice in his head wriggled despite having no visuals of that.

Shadow could tell it was trying to gain control over him, but this time he refused to listen. The green flames and red stripes on his limbs were gone, but he retained his claws he painfully noted as they pierced his buttock, adding new streams of blood.

Silver was loudly breathing with a silver gun pointing at the lying figure. He was shaken. Until this moment he was in complete control over his actions. The last attack triggered his self-defense system, bypassing his brain. He grabbed the weapon and shot without a second thought.

It took him a few seconds and a loud scream from the priest to wake him up. He winked to repel memories of their first encounter. He never thought something like that would terrify him.

After a few more breaths, Silver smiled to recover his composure.

"How it feels to be shot by the gun you have stolen and kept for so long?" he asked in mocking tone.

"S-Stolen?" Shadow lifted his head. His eyes winced as that meant moving with his torso where he had a fresh hole. His face was twisted by twinge.

The exorcist growled, "Don't play dumb! This pistol isn't yours. It belonged to an agent of The Order."

Why was this guy ticking him so much? It was like he wanted to rip him to pieces and be done with it. No more questions! No more games! Just senseless slaughter!

He snorted, putting his inner thoughts in check. Like he was going to let some silly emotions to cloud his brain again!

"But don't worry, you can tell me the story later. I'll get all the pieces out of you." The last sentence was pronounced in an especially cold tone.

'Dang it!' Shadow cursed, unable to hold his frustration any longer.

He merely wanted to talk, to negotiate. Why did it turn into a fight for his life? But he would be a real fool not admitting he knew this could happen. Nevertheless, he still wanted to avoid it!

The voice in his head sweetly whispered. All it would take was to get rid of the cross and sit back to enjoy the show. The priest knew what it meant; the endless massacre of innocent people. He couldn't allow it, but he couldn't stop a fear entering his heart.

"Don't you even think about turning into a monster!" Silver yelled, interrupting Shadow's thoughts.

The ebony hedgehog clenched his teeth with a silent growl pushing through. The black eyes trailed toward Crestia who still tried to escape based on her jerky movements.

Silver noticed it, but he kept his eyes on the priest, merely checking the demoness with his ears.

"What? Worried about others?" he asked with disdain in his voice.

A shiver ran down Shadow's spine, but he dared to speak, "You want just me, right? Please, let her go."

The amber eyes shot open, and Silver's face gained red color.

"What?" he barked, "It's not enough you regard it as a living being you even demand to release it?"

Without hesitation, he shot Shadow into a shoulder. A new scream escaped from the ebony's throat. His body curled up, shaking. This was bad, really bad. Shadow needed to come up with a plan and fast.

Silver snorted and moved the gun a bit down. He deemed the fake priest to be enough weak now to carry into their house for interrogation. There was a nice seal he planned to use for him, sucking his demonic energy dry.

Despite the hatred he had towards the demons, he found the signs of sympathy a topic worth to investigate. He played with the idea to move the demoness to The Order for their R&D departure to experiment on. They had nothing to try their seals and weapons on, so almost every gadget needed to be tested during the missions. That was naturally inconvenience as many prototypes showed faulty behavior and resulted in unnecessary injuries.

The same fate would await Shadow after his integration would be over. He pondered what type of seal was embodied in the cross it could mask such strong demonic energy like nothing.

In his other hand, psionic whip appeared. Time to collect his hard-won prize. He lifted his hand when, out of the blue, blue blur hit him in the stomach, catching him completely off guard. The psychic's body rolled several meters away, dropping everything.

"Father Shadow!" shouted the blue blur that was none other than Sonic.

The priest growled, turning his way to face the running boy.

"Why are you here? Where's Amy? Why you never listen to me?" He wasn't sure if he was angry or glad he disobeyed, creating a distraction he needed.

Sonic shivered, seeing the blood, ripped pants, but more importantly the claws. The boy gulped, saying, "But Amy said, you have no intention of returning to us!"

'She and her reading ability,' he hissed, slowly getting up.

To his surprise, his wounds no longer bled, but the pain was still with him. The ebony priest deeply inhaled, checking on the exorcist.

His figure was curled up, holding his stomach. It would take a few more seconds before he would be able to get up and fight.

The blue child clenched his fist, stomping the budding panic in his heart. This was Father Shadow he knew and loved, not some random monster! So what if he could grow horns and claws! Inside was still the person he looked up to.

He grabbed Shadow's wrist, helping him to stand. He kicked the fear out of his heart, no longer letting it rule him.

"Amy is with Eclipse since he can't hurt anybody now. I'll get you there."

"Forget about me." He quickly stepped toward Crestia, and Sonic followed him. "We need to get her out first!"

He knelt down, feeling how tense the demoness was. "Please," he said, "I'm begging you! Don't hurt the children!"

Crestia had no idea what to think about this situation, but she nodded. She could always ask her brother for an explanation why the black priest he feared so much was now helping him.

"Good, Sonic will lead you to Eclipse," Shadow replied and grabbed the first chain.

He roared with pain as it burned him. As he closed his eyes for a moment, he overlooked the demoness' wide eyes.

'He knows…!' Her heart skipped a beat, and a wide swirl of emotions and thoughts danced in her mind.

Sonic grabbed another chain, but it refused to move. He dug his heels into Crestia's shoulder, much to her discomfort, but even so, the chain refused to break. A whistle flew above him, and when he opened his eyes, Shadow was tossed away by a long whip.

Silver was on his legs, ready to fight. "You danged bastard!" he cursed. 'What was that?' His other hand was clutching his stomach. He only noticed something blue hit him at an unimaginable speed.

His eyes darted toward Shadow who got up. Silver moved forward, but something hit him from behind, and he toppled with mouth wide into the dirt. The whip dispersed as he lost any hold onto it.

Sonic didn't wait for anything and attacked the exorcist. He couldn't let Father Shadow fight on his own.

"Sonic!"

"What?"

"Just get her out!" the priest yelled at him. "I'll keep him busy!"

Sonic wanted to object, but the next words convinced him he can do it.

"Show me your speed."

The boy clenched his fists and nodded.

"Alright!" he shouted back.

"You brat!" Silver barked the dirt as he got up.

He waved his hand to capture the small pest, but it turned into a blur.

"What?" he gasped.

If he was moving that fast, he couldn't catch him. In order to grab his target with his power, he needed to focus on it for a few seconds.

He followed the blue trail, unable to keep up. He knew the boy was on his left. As he was turning that way, he heard a voice from above.

"You are too…"

His amber eyes widen, reflecting his brain was unable to comprehend how such a small body could move so fast. He looked up.

"… slow!"

"Oh, crud!"

Sonic landed on Silver's face, only wobbly steps saved the exorcist from toppling over. The boy used this moment to jump away. In the air, he showed to Shadow thumbs up. The priest answered with the same gesture, feeling proud like a father would.

The psychic hissed as his face burned. Nobody before made fun of him like that. Whoever dared was mercilessly crushed by him. His body pivoted, ready to show Sonic how he dealt with little pests like him.

At that moment he forgot about Shadow, and that caused him another pain in his stomach.

"I'm sorry!" the priest said when he kneed exorcist's abdomen, contradicting with the action.

Silver's body flew into the air with burning lungs. This situation was turning like the last time. His body hit the ground. Shadow dashed forward to immobilize him. However, what he should do next?

Hesitation in his action caused him a kick in the head and punch in his jaw followed soon enough. Silver was furious. He decided to ignore the brat for now. The fake priest had top priority.

Sonic looked over his shoulder and winced when Shadow was punched. Suddenly, he almost tripped over something. He looked down, and his eyes widen.

Cold sweat covered his body.

His mind refused to work, bringing only one image forward.

"Sonic!" Shadow called him, noticing a strange smell coming from him.

Silver slashed the priest, not knowing what was happening behind his back.

"It's no use!" he barked. "Nobody except for us can break that barrier."

The priest paid only half attention to his attacks, unable to comprehend why Sonic stopped or why his smell turned so desperate. The exorcist finally acknowledged something might be happening, so he turned around.

He saw the boy held the silver gun.

"Why…" The blue hedgehog's voice shook. "Why's my dad's gun here?"

Silver's eyes widen. This was something he definitely didn't expect.

"Your…" Shadow whispered. "… father's gun…"

He wobbly stepped back. That weapon was with him as far as he could remember which was for eight years. Waves of cold and heat washed over his body, making him shiver. His mind went blank, replying old memories in front of him in a chaotic manner.

Silver sensed the change in his defense and quick hit from behind rendered Shadow unconscious. The psychic let out a sigh of relief.

"F-Father?" Sonic yelled, rushing to the lying body.

Silver watched to boy shaking with the fake priest.

'What is the meaning of this?'


	37. Shadows of The Past (1-9)

Even the longest night had to end. Even the one where many people met for the first time, some truths were brought to the moonlight, and one major headache for a certain silver psychic.

Silver was laying in his bed, his eyes set on the ceiling. His body wasn't relaxed just like thoughts swirled inside of his mind. He managed to squeeze about two hours of sleep. Normally it was enough for him, but this time he remained tired.

He closed his amber eyes, held his breath for twenty throbbing seconds and let it silently escape. It hardly provided a clearer mind, but it allowed him not to think about anything.

' _Now, how it could turn out like this?'_ he asked himself for the tenth time already.

It stank as he was called genius, but the recent events messed up his head. His plan looked so simple; lure the small demon and capture it. He rather didn't think about the holes it had.

All actually proceeded quite smoothly. He was able to lure the fake priest, but instead of acquiring quick victory, he encountered one obstacle after another. Shadow proved to be a tougher opponent than he expected even with his powers surpassed.

The appearance of that speedy kind was annoying yet manageable. The fight remained in his favor, thought everything shattered when he knocked the priest out.

' _Was that kid really Agent Blue's son?'_ Not that he cared, but the boy could have some leads to Blue's disappearance.

Silver rubbed his eyes and pinched his nose at the same time. A headache was successfully killing his brain.

If it was just the boy, he would pacify him. However, when he had him by the collar, some screaming hellcat rushed towards him with Gold at pursuit. Before he could do anything, the boy, who seemed to be named Sonic, kicked him in the jaw and took a protective stance before the priest.

The hellcat turned out to be a small girl with sharp toe-cap as his shaft took note of. Gold did her best to calm everybody down and to explain what lead to such gathering to Silver.

He understood the gist of it, but the presence of tamed demon surprised him. He wanted to get rid of the bulky demon, but that hellcat, how he started to refer Amy, refused to shut up, so he agreed to take both demons. He could always get rid of them at a later time without the girl yelling in his ear or abusing his shafts.

The way she acted towards the demons was irritating him. Whoever asked a demon how it was feeling? Or if it was in pain? Or apologized for that matter! Just the mere thought made the grumpy exorcist angry and exhausted.

Silver squinted his eyes and rubbed them once more.

' _So to sum it up,'_ he started in his mind, _'I have now three demons in my cellar and two kids.'_ His lips waved in a sore way. _'One is silent while the other talks too much.'_

He let out an angry snort.

' _The. Worst. Night. Ever!'_ he growled each word.

The exorcist slowly got up, ignoring the wrinkles on his clothes. He sluggishly reached the wardrobe in the corner and took out the same set of clothes. The previous attire was mercilessly thrown into the corner.

He looked over his shoulder to the mirror on the wall. He never understood what the fashion was about. Changing clothes every season like the previous set was a joke never appealed to him. Only fools wasted money on clothes. However, he never said this aloud in front of Gold. He knew, checking stores was her way to relax.

His frown deepened, and he took out a small key from the drawer of the toilet table. He put it in his pocket and headed down to the washroom to splash the sleepiness out of his face. Silver had to pass around Gold's room on the same floor, so he made sure to lift his body in the air to not make any sound. His partner needed to rest.

Once he landed below the stairs, his eyes narrowed, burying holes into the wood door next to the washroom. In that guest room was the hellcat he hated. He didn't stop staring until he was completely in the washroom.

Its pure interior mixed with beige calmed him down. Right now it was like entering a sanctuary; a place filled with stillness.

He let the water pour into his cupped hands, splashing it all over his face. The ice-cold drops spread all around him, soaking his fur and landing on the tiled floor. He repeated this process for a few times before he felt ready to face the day.

He dried his face and put the towel back at its place. His ears jerked as the washroom door squeaked slightly. His eyes darted to the left. The hellcat's door remained closed, ensuring him she was still sleeping.

' _Good, I can have quiet and peace for my job.'_

His eyes moved toward the door leading to the cellar; there was a note. He quickly grabbed it and read the short text.

' _So she isn't sleeping, but she went to visit the local branch of The Order,'_ he thought.

He was sure she was sleeping since he didn't glance or hear her in any downstairs room. He threw the note into a bin in the corner and opened the door with the key. To be on the safe side, he locked them to make sure the pink fury wouldn't enter.

This was a place only he and Gold could enter, after all. The corridor was so dark, even nocturnal creatures could have a problem to navigate through. Silver snapped his fingers, and small flames lit the torches bordering the walls.

The balls of light were subtle, illuminating the ground but sparing eyes from the pain. The echoes of his steps on rock stairs silently returned, expanding the vastness beyond the darkness.

He counted forty-two steps each time he went down. It was a habit he developed during his school days to clear his mind of all unnecessary emotions. He already made a few snap judgments, and another one wasn't even on his Don't-Do-This list.

Silver didn't bother to check on the demons in the third room. They were chained, waiting for him to pick the best method how to kill them; at least the bulky one. He had no need for it anymore.

He entered the last room. A big, silver cross stood in the middle of a rectangular room. It wasn't built for prayers, but to suck energy from especially dangerous creatures. It was a shame as the carvings on it turned it into masterpiece any church or cathedral would love to possess.

The amber eyes laid on halfway hanging Shadow on his knees.

The priest's body was limp, held only by chains around limbs and chest. The slight glint on them showed they weren't ordinary, but created to transfer the demonic energy into the cross. Each breath turned into vapor as it escaped Shadow's mouth.

Silver picked a bucket of water and poured the liquid on the unconscious priest.

It took only a second before Shadow's brain reacted on the sudden coldness. His body sprang up and forward, held back by the chains without realization. The wide, black eyes almost burst out of their sockets as they frantically looked around without seeing anything in particular.

"Done with your beauty sleep?" the psychic ridiculed him, putting the bucket down with a loud bang.

The priest's head jerked up, his stare set on the other hedgehog. Regardless of Shadow's intellect, he couldn't think what to say or do for the next few seconds.

"W-Where?" the raspy voice Shadow produced asked.

His throat was sore and dry. A numbness spread from his fingers and piercing pain shot from his knees. Shadow made an attempt to straighten his posture, but his stiffed back refused to listen.

Shadow's eyes blankly stared at the psychic, and at the moment Silver was about to talk, the priest barked: "Where's Sonic? And Amy? Are they alright?"

His rattling voice started a fit of dry coughing. The recent memories hit him hard, turning his brain upside-down. Cold sweat covered him, and a shiver ran through his whole spine. The bit of saliva his mouth managed to produce were swallowed to water the burning neck from inside. It had no effect, but it was better than nothing.

"Carrying more for the others than for yourself?" asked Silver, placing his index finger next to his muzzle once Shadow stopped coughing. "How curious."

"Please, tell me, are they alright?" The black hedgehog chugged and gnawed on his poor lip, letting the anxiety escape his system. "And the demons? What happened to them?" he silently panted when no answer came.

Silver's face wrinkled. His brain whispered to slash the prisoner until a nice poodle of blood was under him, but the psychic knew better than to listen to sudden impulses. It already brought him enough trouble.

"Hmm," Silver started, enjoying the growing despair in Shadow's face. "The children are unharmed, and the demons..." He made a pause to make the priest hang on his voice. "… let's say, they are still breathing."

A long and thick vapor left Shadow's muzzle. Its silent sound reaching psychic's ears.

The exorcist had no intention in keeping them alive for too long, but so far it seemed they could be used as bargain chips. It made him interested how could one demon care for another, and he wished to test to what extent it could go.

Despite this, they were still trash in his cold, amber eyes. If one impressed him, he was willing to prolong its life until he was bored with it.

Shadow hung his head low in relief, but his body tensed and bristled as Silver moved closer. The exorcist walked slowly with a small smirk settled on his muzzle. The small twitch in Shadow's fingers was more than enough to tell him, the priest was nervous and scared.

That was all he needed. He steadily circled him, and Shadow's eyes followed him with the minimal movements of his body possible.

"Now tell me…" The exorcist's voice lacked any emotions. "Who are you? A hedgehog? A demon? Or something else?"

Every question slowly sunk into Shadow's brain, coating it like poisonous snow. Shivers ran down his spine, and his teeth chattered before he tightly clenched them. He only dared to slightly look over his right shoulder to partly see the silver hedgehog behind him.

He couldn't muster an answer, but it seemed Silver wasn't in a hurry to get it. Instead, he kept watching Shadow's back. The exorcist slightly caught his chin, thinking for a brief moment, before the same hand moved forward.

"It seems demons are really proud of their wings. So, will it grow back if I pluck it?" His fingers moved down to the joint.

A hoarse sound escaped from the priest's throat that barely passed as a word much less syllable. His mind was filled with memories of his encounter with Eclipse. Each of them blurred in fast motion, calling huge headache to help them torture Shadow.

"I wanna see it," Silver said softly, but his cold eyes gave him away.

He already de-winged a few demons, and neither grew them back. However, it might be because he never let them live long enough to see it.

Silver's fingers pressed the bone and pulled back.

"No! Stop!" barked the priest hurting his throat as he arched his back.

His head moved back, hitting the cross behind. Sparks danced before his eyes, but Silver kept increasing the pull. The priest swung his body forward in order to get away, but he only helped Silver to torture him.

A fire spread through Shadow's body, but his teeth chattered like crazy. He had no idea how to describe it, but the mere thought of losing his wing terrified him to no bounds. Only at the edge of his mind, he realized what he made Eclipse went through no matter how uncontrollable he was at that time.

Silver snickered and let go of the wing. Shadow hung down like rag-doll, his saliva escaping down from his gasping mouth. The burning sensation was replaced with ice filling his veins.

"I kind of still need you to talk so it would be troublesome if you would scream your lungs out," the exorcist chuckled.

Good torture always lifted his mood. He returned to his original post in no hurry, letting Shadow sink deeper into despair he was about to unleash.

"Now tell me everything!" He sharply turned back.

Shadow's ears pricked before flattening as a wave of fear washed over him that tugged his head between his shoulders.

"How did you become a priest? What are your intentions? How did you get that silver gun? What's the cross around your neck? Who sealed your true form? Who-!"

"Stop! Slow down!" the ebony hedgehog cut him with a hoarse voice, unable to take the barrage of the questions for another second.

Shadow's head widely shook, the rest of saliva scattered around. If only a simple shook could settle the mess in his head, he would do it for hours.

Silver slightly growled with his left corner of mouth lifted, but he let the prisoner talk.

"A priest…?" Shadow gasped, before coughing shortly on his own saliva. "I was told, I'm one."

"What?" Silver barked, ready to slash him, but his next words interrupted him.

"I was hurt… people found me collapsed… I had that gun and the cross with me," he spat with a husky groan as his throat desperately needed water.

"Nonsense!" Silver barked with a wave of his hand.

He expected a lie, but something so blatant and fake was beyond his expectation. He bared his teeth as he loudly growled.

"That gun belonged to our A-class agent! There is no way you could get it by any legal means!" Silver spat, and a psionic whip appeared in his hand.

"But that's how it happened!" Shadow kept shouting in half-whisper, trying to keep his sanity above the rising water.

For days he strove to not question his identity, pushing it deep in his mind. Right now those thoughts kept pounding him from all angles. His body jerked as the chains tightened and burned him, reacting on the demonic energy that started to pour out through the skin.

"Liar!" The silver exorcist lifted his hand, and the whip landed across Shadow's face.

His yelp replaced the sharp sound the whizzing weapon generated.

"I'll tell you what you have done!" the exorcist hissed, and a new strike landed on Shadow's body with each sentence.

"The cross can seal your true hideous form! You used it to hunt with ease. But our agent Blue saw right through your ruse!" Silver barked the last word. The slash of his whip rammed Shadow against the cross. A deep red mark appeared across his chest.

"You have killed him, his partner, and took the gun while getting rid of the bodies! Their remains were never found!"

The psychic panted for a few seconds, surprised by his own outburst. Something on this priest was driving him crazy. It disappeared at the edge of his consciousness when he attempted to spot it. He let out the last breath and folded his weapon.

Shadow's body shook like crazy, small balls of vapor leaving his mouth. He couldn't think. It couldn't be real. Flashes of happy memories danced in front of his eyes. But they were twisted. Smiles turned into smirks, and eyes glowed with hatred.

The voice returned, gently whispering soothing words. It would be sweat to rip the exorcist's throat and drink the hot blood throbbing with life. Eclipse would provide a nice pet to torture, and his sister would be a worthy opponent to kill some time.

The priest shivered, unable to stop the saliva gathered behind his growing fangs. He tightly shut his eyes, digging sharp claws into his palms.

However, the voice continued to whisper. The kids would be perfect appetizers or desserts. And that woman would be his personal toy.

Shadow howled, startling Silver who stepped back with coldness running down his spine.

"What?"

The priest jerked with his body, the chains screeched as they stretched. It seemed he could break them any second.

Silver whipped him, but not even dozen of hits was able to subdue him. The cross shook and pulsated, draining Shadow's demonic energy at tremendous speed, but was still unable to surpass the flow. It was gradually getting out of hand.

The whip wrapped around Shadow's neck, robbing him off the air. The priest yapped and coughed, but was unable to breathe. His movements slowly died down with the overflowing energy completely drained. Only then Silver set his neck free.

Shadow's body once more turned into a rag doll, lifelessly hanging down. His lungs hungrily gulped air, stopping for short whimpers as the body screamed with the smallest movements.

The exorcist tried to control his breathing too. For a moment he felt dread tried to control his mind. Their first meeting replayed in his head, strengthening the feeling of complete helplessness.

Silver gulped the anxiety with the saliva and continued, "But since you were discovered, you decided to play it safe and kept a low profile for a few years. How clever. You have even taken a child as a meat shield!"

Shadow abruptly lifted his head, his face twisted with spasm and drenched by sweat.

"No! I swear-!"

Another slash landed on his body.

"There is no need to lie, demon! You can't conceal your hideous form in front of me!"

Silver balled his free fist, surpassing the shiver. His teeth dug into his cheek from inside, chewing the anger filling him.

Tears started to flow down from ebony hedgehog's eyes.

"Oh, crying? Trying to look pitiful? To gain mercy?" The exorcist was made fun of him as he stepped closer. His head bent down, whispering right into the flapped ear, "There will be no mercy from me."

Shivers ran down Shadow's body, his teeth refusing to silent down.

A small smirk appeared across Silver's muzzle. He stepped back, ready to continue with the torture. Everybody had their limits, and Shadow was no exception. The exorcist just needed to find the threshold and destroy it utterly.

" _Silver!"_

The silver hedgehog's body jerked.

" _Gold?"_ he called her back with his mind.

" _I'm back, and I found more about the boy named Sonic!"_ Her voice was tired, but also excited.

" _Good, I'll be right there."_

He pivoted, his eyes stabbing the ebony priest.

"I'll give you time to think."

Shadow lifted his head, his eyes tired and squinted as the sweat mixed with flowing tears.

The exorcist turned around. "Think well about how much painful death you want to experience," with those cold words, he exited the room, leaving Shadow to his own nightmares.


	38. Shadows of The Past (2-9)

On the other side of the door leading down, he had met Gold. She was wearing a casual dress with something short covering her torso from neck to elbows. It was knitted and had a light brown color. He was sure that's one of the fashionable nonsense that kept popping out of nowhere. But he had never commented it. He knew how checking the stores and stuff like that helped his partner to relax.

He nodded at her, wishing her good morning in his own hardly friendly manner, and closed the door to the cellar.

"What did you find?" he asked once they stepped into the living room, taking their seats.

"It took longer than I expected, but with Blaze's help I was able to confirm that agent Blue had a child, a son," she informed him, gladly accepting the cookies the psychic put closer with his mind.

Silver took one too. Since he was born with a psychic ability, his brain required a larger amount of sugar to give its full potential in the battle. He was able to eat a whole cake if feeling too sluggish, making any woman to feel gaining weight just from watching him.

"Who was the mother? You make it sound like he had it in a complete secret." It wasn't like he cared about agent Blue. In fact, they had never met, whether it was because he was already dead or not, he didn't give a dang.

Gold nodded, and she slightly knitted her eyebrows, showing she is disagreeing with his inner thoughts. She knew him well, so she often guessed what he was thinking about someone.

"That's partly true. The mother was Maya Blue."

"Maya?" He thought for a bit, unsure if he had ever heard that code-name. Even if he had never met them, he still prided himself on the general knowledge of all prominent agents.

"It's no wonder you can't remember that code-name. Her rank was B, and agent Blue was her senior partner and a teacher." Gold put on the table a small paper showing her profile. Her fighting abilities seemed to be lacking, but there was a note stating her sealing ability was showing great potential.

The exorcist put the paper back on the table. "Well, The Order was never particularly against marriages among agents. But why did they were so secretive about this?"

"I have met Blue on a few occasions, he was always very protective," she started to explain. "I bet he wanted to spare his son of it. I looked into his mind when he was sleeping this morning. His memories were so clear, I could see all the details. It was him, who scribbled those words on the gun. He strongly believed his dad was fighting bad guys. He was practically his hero. The news of their death was a huge blow for him."

She could imagine how he felt, she on her own saw countless people losing their families and loved ones. Such pain was never easy to overcome.

Silver smirked. "Fate has a strange sense of a humor, doesn't it? The murder of his parents was by his side all the time."

Gold knitted her brows a bit. She knew he wasn't a bad person, but there were moments where he was very insensitive.

"The girl has a very strange gift as well," she quickly changed the topic.

"Hmm, that's right." Since he finally had time to think, he found this annoying girl to have an unusual power. "Who is she anyway?"

"Amy Rose, the only daughter of Rose family." She made sure to ask about the Rose Family while she was waiting for the results about the agent Blue.

"So some rich spoiled brat?" he mumbled, losing half of the interest. He hated rich people, getting everything so easily.

"No," the tenrec slightly rebuked him, "she is ladylike and unusually mature for her age. I'm sure you have noticed that already."

He sunk into the armchair, crossing legs and arms. The only thing he had noticed was her ringing yell and his aching jaw. But he hated not to give credit where credit was due.

"Yeah, she wasn't panicking that much. She even managed to calm that demon quickly, giving me an easier time to carry it," he pondered about it, hiding his muzzle behind a hand. Her personality might be terrible, but had he ever heard or read about someone capable of controlling demons? Maybe there was something in the archives of The Order.

"It's him."

"Come again?" He looked at her confused putting the hand down.

The tenrec woman calmly continued, "That demon isn't it, but he, and his name is Eclipse."

"What?" He was still feeling he was missing the main point. "Ah, right, she was shouting its name. That's how you know." He cleared his ear. "I must have missed it in the flood of yelling."

"No, she told me when we first met." She explained to him how they met.

Silver merely snorted at the end. "That's still no reason to regard it as a living being." He shrugged his shoulders.

"I won't argue, you have a point, but her own is valid as well."

The silver psychic frowned at her. Considering a demon a living being? "That girl is obviously naive." He waved his hand like he was shooing a mosquito. "That demon must have sweet-talked her once he was chained."

A loud bang echoed through the house. "Sonic! Mister Shadow!" Amy's voice was all over the place, making the exorcist to jump on his seat.

"Stop yelling!" Silver shouted, digging his fingers into the armrest.

The pink hedgehog rushed his way, stopping in the doorway. "Where is Mister Shadow? What have you done to him? Where are the others? Answer me!" Her clothes were dirty, crumpled, and she would use a shower. But her eyes burned with anger, she hardly noticed it.

Silver wanted to smack her, but he held back his anger and only smiled. He got up on his legs, and with two steps he easily stood in front of her, stroking her messy quills.

"There is no need to concern yourself with that fake priest." He made sure to add sugar to the voice. This tactic always helped him to calm too noise kids… the other was knocking them down, but Gold was watching him, so it was no go.

Amy clenched her fists, smacking the hand away. "He is much more honest and nicer person than you can ever be with your fake smile!" growled the girl at him, running to her temporal room, shutting the door behind her.

The hedgehog bristled, and his eyes turned red for a moment. How did that runt dare to call him fake? He even went the extra length to be as sweet as possible! Despite it made him sick from his stomach! His rage was slowly getting out of hand.

"Silver, calm down."

Gold gently touched his shoulder, but her companion shoved her away, pushing her on the floor. He stormed into the second floor, closing himself in his room as well. The tenrec sighed. After a little while, she silently knocked on Amy's door.

"Amy, can you please let me in?" She waited, expecting no reaction, but the door went ajar.

"I'm not apologizing to him! He is faker!" the pink hedgehog was peaking outside. The rage was still all over her face.

"I understand your anger, I just wish to explain you something about him," she said gently, hoping to gain her trust a bit. She wasn't intending to tell her lies, just an old story about her partner. It might help her to understand him a bit.

The young girl knitted her brows in an upset manner, but then she made a small warm smile. "It's not like I'm angry at you." She let her in, closing the door afterward.

"Thank you." Gold sat down on the bed and Amy next to her.

"I'll listen," the girl said with a resolution in her tone.

The tenrec woman was still puzzled by this child. "You are really mature for your age."

"I was educated to be a proper lady." She put her chin upfront.

"You are as well headstrong like Silver." The tenrec made a light smile, remembering their first encounter. "You see, he has no memories of his parents. According to folks from his home village, he was found nearby during a storm. The village chief couldn't leave a lonely child, so he was accepted and raised by a local priest.

How old was he at that time? No one was sure, but he appeared to be at most four years old. He never played with other children, and he often tried to run away. His behavior was as well quite aggressive. Adults were at a loss what to do with him. When I had first met him, he was living in the village for six years. I was called there because of an unfortunate accident he had caused." The medium made a slight pause as the memories were reappearing in her mind.

"What happened?" Amy asked. From her narrating it seemed this person went through a lot.

Gold continued her story.

Small announcement - I'm sorry for not uploading it here for a long time. This is my second site where I publish my story. So it's not a top priority. However, if you want to know what happens next, you can visit where is the rest of this book and the next one in the series ;-) My username there is Witto150.

I upload here the chapters I edited a bit (but it still neeeeds a lot of work - but I may not edit them any more. I want to focus on my original stories too ;-))

Best Regards 3


	39. Shadows of The Past (3-9)

"That boy is a devil!" shouted one villager.

"Look what he did to our children!" one mother was crying, pointing at a small house of a healer. Whimpers and weeps could be heard coming from inside.

Gold listened to their story pouring from all possible sides. Her simple beige clothes were covered by a cloak, and a hood was covering her forehead. The only thing she was holding was a small round handbag. According to folks, three days ago their children were playing with a silver hedgehog boy when he suddenly went nuts. It was a miracle no one died, but all children ended up in the hospital with broken bones and a big trauma.

Adults tried to bring the youngster back and lock him in a cellar for the time being, but he wielded a strange power, chasing them away. Since then, he lived in the forest, and no one dared to come closer.

"Please, do something with this boy," asked the head of the village. "He may be innocent. What if a demon possessed his young mind?" He was one of the rare people, if not the only one, still on the boy's side. But even he had to admit something radical had to be done if he wouldn't stop attacking others.

"Rest assured, we will." The medium nodded and with the group of three other people, she departed to the forest. That place was like any other, but the tenrec always found it calming walking through one.

Her teammates discussed the strategy among them. The highest one had B rank, and his two students were C but showing great promises. Their goal was to provide a cover for their leader Gold, who had a high chance to solve this without a need for physical strength. The B-rank agent had no doubt in her abilities, as he saw them with his own two eyes, and he was a seasoned veteran.

But even with his knowledge, he had never heard of someone who could create a big tornado or throw stones without touching them. In his mind, he strongly believed the boy was possessed. Meaning the fight would be inevitable. He voiced his concerns and ideas to her since they had found the cave the boy was hiding in.

"I shall talk with him alone first. More people will only make him agitated," she opposed in an understanding manner. She knew too well her fighting abilities were terrible if nonexistent.

"But what if he will attack you! He snapped their bones like a twig!" reminded the B-rank agent. That was the truth. The bones weren't simply broken but utterly snapped. There was no way the children wouldn't have lifelong consequences.

She smiled at him. "Don't worry, I'll be alright." She slowly approached the entrance to the cave. The B-rank informed his assistants to get ready to fight. As she was slowly getting closer, she could hear the boy's chaotic thoughts.

His head was swirling with memories. The children weren't playing with him. They bullied him! For his fur color, his quills, the fact he was parent-less, his slightly smaller height, unsocial tendencies, and for much more.

The tenrec agent stopped about ten meters away from the curled up body. It was shaking. She knocked on a rock wall. "Knock, knock, is anybody home?" she called him with a playful voice.

The boy abruptly jumped, his hands were engulfed by the light blue glow, and the nearest rocks were lifted, shining the same way.

"Go away!" he threw them at her with red eyes, showing he was sobbing for a long time. The woman only protected her head, not moving or doing anything else.

"Please, hear me out. I'm not here to hurt you," she implored.

"Liar! All adults are liars!" he yelled, throwing a new batch of rocks. "Leave me alone!" The radiance wasn't coming from his hands but from something on them, but she so far had no idea what form it had.

The tenrec didn't step back, merely protecting her face, and the boy continued to throw stones. After a half of hour of constant use of that strange power, he got tired, going weak in his knees, sliding on his butt. The boy's breathing was sharp and loud while his vision turned blurry and his thoughts dizzy.

Gold's cloak was tattered and dirty. Her hands had a lot of bruises as well. "I don't want to hurt you," she reminded him of putting her arms down. There was no anger in her voice.

"Go away!" the silver boy barked with a hoarse voice. "I want to be alone!"

She sadly shook her head. "I as well have times when I want to be alone, but solitude isn't an answer."

"What can you know?" he again barked, growling at her from behind his tears.

"You and I… have something in a common." She showed him her face, sliding the tattered hood down. There was a strange incomplete circle with a dot on her forehead. The boy looked at his palms and back. This indicated he had a very similar mark on them. It surprised him. He never thought there could be anyone with a similar symbol. "May I sit down?" she asked with a smile.

He slowly nodded, feeling curiosity getting better of him. He was watching as she came just a step closer to sit down on an appropriate stone. She took a short breather before putting her small handbag on her lap and taking out a long package.

"Are you hungry? I have a baguette with me." She showed it to him. "Thought it seems it got a bit mashed up." She slightly giggled, feeling a bit embarrassed. "Since you are afraid of me, why don't you use your power to bring it to yourself?"

He was getting more and more interested in this strange lady. He slowly used his power to pick it up. The baguette was engulfed by wavering blue aura of light shade, and through her palm ran a strange sensation. I wasn't unpleasant, more like a slight static electricity dancing on her skin.

She watched the object to float in the mid-air with childish amazement. Her imagination regarding this power was more on… a scary note, but this looked so fun. When the baguette reached about half of the path, it suddenly snapped. The boy shouted with a fear, falling down and crawling away.

The woman was on the other hand diving, catching the halves. "Oh hog, I actually caught them!" She smiled, feeling undeniable pride in herself despite her clothes turned dirtier, and she got new bruises on her hands and knees. Her blue eyes fell on a shivering boy. "It's alright. They are not smirched, so you can eat." She offered him it once she stood up.

"But I… I…" He caught his head, assuming a defensive position by bringing knees closer to the chest.

"Do you feel guilty for hurting the village kids?" she asked after a short moment.

"No!" he shouted looking at her, but in his eyes was uncertainty.

"It's true, hurting others is a bad thing." She slightly smiled but her brows were knitted together. "Nut those kids had it coming."

The boy looked at her in awe. Was she actually on his side? Everybody else yelled at him, called him a monster!

He heard her continue, "They bullied you, said bad things about you and claimed your mother forsake you. They deserved to be punished." Her voice was firm.

The boy came out of his hiding, making small steps towards her, but still keeping a certain gap between them. She offered him half of the baguette. At first, those amber eyes kept going back and forth between her face and the food, before closing the distance and accepting it. It was so long since he had a decent meal.

He took a big bite. "Don't eat so fast, you will…" she said it too late. The boy started to choke. "Here! Drink some water."

He hurriedly gulped the liquid, letting half of it slide down his cheeks. He even burped, letting the extra air out. That actually made him blush. The woman chuckled a bit, accepting the bottle back, continuing where she left off,

"But their punishment was severe. Just like this baguette, their bones snapped. They may not be able to run or properly walk for a long time… if ever. The same goes for their arms."

The boy gnawed on the pastry, crying. She patted his head. "You power is a strange one. There is a reason you have it. There is so much you can do with it, it's only up to you to decide." She gently stroked his quills, while he was slowly eating.

'This lady… she reminds me of a mom…'

"Do I look like her so much?" she asked, before gasping, realizing her mistake. "Um, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to." She covered her mouth.

"What? What did you do?" he asked puzzled.

"It's just…" She averted her eyes, being really ashamed. She was supposed to gain his trust not to scare him! "I can read other people minds. Sometimes I forget to control myself. I must have made you unconformable."

He suddenly hugged her. "Please, take me with you! I hate this place!"

She patted his quills, feeling the fear inside of him. The woman never expected to get such a strong reaction. "But I don't have a home. I travel a lot," she babbled without thinking.

He looked at her with pleading eyes. "I don't mind! If I travel a lot too… I may find my mom!"

She hugged him in return, calming his shivering body. "Actually, I wanted to offer you to go with me. I won't say I will take you to a better place. I can imagine it will be reminding you of this village, but there are people, who will help you to learn about your power, and how to properly control it."

"Will you be there too?" He hugged her tighter, smashing the rest of the baguette he was holding against her cape.

"I'm sorry, I can't promise you that due to my job, but I'll visit you as often as I can." She meant it sincerely since she knew what it meant to be an outcast. She kept hugging him until his stomach voiced its disagreement regarding no food coming its way. Gold waited for him to finish eating, before taking him out. He held her hand the whole time and frowned at the men outside of the cave.

The woman, who reminded him so much of his mom, calmed them down and explained to them the boy wished to go with her, and that he wasn't possessed but had a unique supernatural ability. The three male agents accepted it without much of an argument. And the people in the village were more than pleased to get rid of the troublemaker.

Gold promised to inform The Order about their situation and sending their healers to examine them. If it would be necessary, they would provide extra treatment, moving the patients to a bigger city where the facilities had better equipment free of charge. That made everybody happy. With such an offer, the children would be definitely getting healthy in no time.


	40. Shadows of The Past (4-9)

"… Of course," the tenrec continued her story, "nothing was easy. Even when he entered The Order and became a discipline, he was a loner and easily angered. His temper was short, and he felt at ease only when I was close." She made a sad smile. "He was the first person not minding me reading his mind by accident. He actually preferred to talk that way. That made me… really happy." She wiped a tear pretending it was just some speck.

"He got better at controlling his hot head once I gained permission to be his official guardian, that way we could spend all the time together. His study results skyrocketed, getting ahead of all starts student of his grade. His finished his training with flying colors, setting a new record for just two years and four months."

"How long it usually takes for an average person?" Amy was all the time listening, and this was a really interesting piece of information. She could easily imagine what hell it was, studying night and day without proper rest, even if he was called genius by others. Though she wasn't pushed that hard, she always wanted to exceed everyone's exceptions. Guess it was just in her nature to prove her worth.

"At least six years. Only a handful of students finish the course in less than four years, and they are already considered talented."

"That training must have been harsh," the girl pondered. She could think of one or two other types of "lessons" he had to take and sewing wasn't definitely one of them. The image of Silver trying to push the thread through the small hole of the needle with the utmost concentration made her snicker in her mind, reflecting the mental state on her smile.

Gold involuntarily peeked inside the girl's mind, seeing the picture. Her face twitched, and she quickly shooed that vision away, concentrating on her explanation, "The Order can't go easy on anyone. They have to be at their best when they leave, so they can fight with demons and other unholy creatures. That's the only way they can survive and protect."

"Guess I owe him an apology," the pink hedgehog said, jumping from the bed. "Does he like cookies?"

This question came from nowhere, startling her. "I don't think he particularly dislikes them." He actually liked anything sweet.

"Then it's settled." She gestured with her tightened fist, bending that arm upward and putting the fingers of the other on her tiny muscles. "I'll bake him some."

"Can I help you?" Gold quickly stood up, feeling excited. "I'm not good, but it's such a long time since I baked."

"But of course, it will be more fun," she smiled, grabbing tenrec's hand and together they headed to the kitchen.

While their preparations were underway, a certain adult hedgehog was lying on his bed, feeling utterly annoyed and frustrated. To push his most trusted partner like that and getting angry over such stupidity from a runt. It showed him how immature he still was.

'I should apologize to Gold,' he thought, but his body refused to get up, reflecting the true state of his mind. He didn't want to see her. Not anyone right now. There were times when he wished he could just close himself from the outer world and never getting out. At the same time, he knew that would be wrong. There was so much he had to do, but the results of his main search always stopped at a dead-end, leaving him gloomy and disheartened.

He entwined fingers on his chest, tapping them against the cloth, counting seconds. Once he reached a few thousand, he let out a sigh and sat up, sluggishly getting off the bed. His mood sank deeper when he noticed he actually locked the door of his room. He felt like some stupid teenager. He pressed the root of his nose.

'I'm sending that runt away as soon as possible. I have enough of her giving me headaches.'

He exited the room smelling something nice. He wondered what it was, as he was walking down the stairs. From the small kitchen walked Amy with a plate of freshly baked cookies and a glass of milk. She frowned a bit, asking, "Do you want some?"

"Yeah, why not," he answered, not showing he was actually eager for them. The smell was delicious, and his brain screamed sugar! Sugar! Not to mention when was the last time he had freshly baked ones? She put the plate on the coffee table in the living room. Silver sat in the armchair, taking the glass.

"I apologize for what I have said earlier." The girl slightly bowed, but turned around, not waiting for his reply.

'Well, she can be decent,' he thought with a smirk taking a sip of the milk.

"But you are still a jerk!" she shouted at him over the shoulder.

The startled exorcist coughed as the milk got inside his nose. The girl left the room with a satisfied expression. Gold witnessed the scene from the hall and was silently giggling. There was a tray in her hand.

Meanwhile, int the other room, the blue boy heard them. He was already awake, but he didn't bother to check the clock or leave the room. He didn't care… nothing mattered to him now. Everything turned gray. He thought he was fine without his parents, that he could manage, but now… it hurt so much. Someone slowly opened the door. He twitched, pretending he was still sleeping.

It was the tenrec agent checking on him, silently putting a tray with a sandwich, glass of milk and freshly baked cookies on a night table. She left, not speaking a word. The youngster would continue to lay down, but the delicious smell soon reminded him he was getting hungry. He sat up, eating the simple meal. After a while, his face expressed a sudden urge. "Uh oh." He stormed out of his room.

"What's this?" shouted Silver who only saw blue blur running all around. He dashed out of the living room, trying to catch it, but it was no use. The blue streak ended in… toilet cabin. The sound of flushing and loud sigh were heard a few moments later.

The exorcist's face… had a strange expression, it was a mix of 'I have no idea what just happened' and 'are you kidding me'. Sonic exited the WC with a happy smile, noticing the silver hedgehog after a few steps. The blue boy crouched a bit, unsure of what to do.

"The toilet seat, did you close it?" asked the psychic.

Sonic winked, then he turned into the blue blur and returned. "Yup."

"Good."

The silence was awkward.

"Sonic, how do you feel?" asked Gold, who came out of the second floor.

"I'm fine." He nodded.

The psychic hedgehog left them, returning to his seat in the living room. "Hey!" he shouted. "Who ate my cookies?"

The blue prankster jerked, clearly pointing at the culprit. "Gotta go." He sprinted into his room.

Silver looked from the room red in the face. His partner smiled. "There are still some in the kitchen," she jolly called at him, hardly hiding her amusement. She never saw her partner fuming in such a cute way. She knocked on the boy's temporary room's door. "Sonic? Can I come inside?"

The door slightly opened with the lad peeking out, he nodded.

"Thank you," she replied and entered the room, closing the door and sitting on the bed. "I know the last night must have been hard for you. I'll try to answer your questions the best I can." She gestured him to sit next to her.

Once he was seated, he barraged her with questions, "Why was my dad's gun there? Who are you? Who is that wacko with messed up quills? What are you doing?" He was hardly taking any breaths, and the tenrec had to stop him before his face turned too purple.

"That man is Silver, and my name is Gold." She snickered in her mind, that remark about her partner's quills made her crack a smile. "I apologize for lack of proper greetings. Silver found the gun at a certain place, but the previous holder… was priest Shadow."

"Father Shadow? How come? Did he meet my dad? Why he never said so? Where is he? What about those demons?" More questions rained down.

Gold had to gesture him to stop, sadly shaking her head. "Regarding the priest, I can't tell you, there is still an investigation going on. The Demons… I can't be specific either, but they are still alive. But I can tell you about us. We are special agents of The Order. Our task is to protect people and solve difficult cases involving unnatural phenomenons."

He looked at her like she told him a fairy tale, but his own experiences were too wild to deny her. "Like demons?" he asked after a short pondering.

"Yes, that's how it is in most of the cases. Amy told me you are amazingly fast." She quickly changed the topic remembering their chat during the baking. She didn't want to lie or create half-truths.

"Amy? She is here too?" The blue ears perked up, forgetting the questions and the fact he actually heard her screaming. But his own mind was so preoccupied with his own worries he let it slide away.

"Yeah, she is in the kitchen. We baked these cookies together. It was a lot of fun, but I think she is tired. The last night was too long for everyone. You should take some rest as well." She stood up, signaling the answers would have to wait for another time.

"Where's my dad's gun now?" he asked, jumping down the bed before she could leave the room.

Gold turned half-way back. "It's with Silver. I'm afraid you can't have it since it belongs to The Order."

"It's my dad's keepsake!" he argued with clenched fists.

"But it's still a dangerous weapon, having it would bring you too much trouble." She gently touched his quills. "Please, take a rest." She left the room.


	41. Shadows of The Past (5-9)

During that time, Amy was in the kitchen, preparing a tray with a plate of baguettes, cookies, and glasses of milk. She exited the room with a simple humming.

"Where are you going?" Silver asked, quickly approaching her.

The girl looked less happy, putting her chin forward in rebelling manner. "I'm bringing it to Mister Shadow and others."

"No, they have no need for it." He reached for the tray, but she moved it out of his reach.

"What? You can't do that!" she shouted. Could he be really so heartless to deny a person the basic need for food and water?

"I can! And I will!" he barked, lifting her with his power. He should have done it in the first place. But the sugar-sweetened his judgment.

"Whoa!" She was kicking, but it was no use. Her strength had no chance against his mind.

The psychic smirked, feeling satisfied and with a psionic arm, he opened the door leading to her room. She was thrown inside, but the agent wasn't a barbarian, so he made sure she landed safely. He merely wanted to scare her a bit, then he locked the door, taking the key with him.

"Hey, you can't lock me here!"

Silver had such an impish smile on his face. Finally, he was the one getting on her nerves and not vice versa. "I just did," he announced in mocking tone.

"What… What if I'll need to go to the bathroom."

That was such a cliche tactic, but let's give her a point for being classic.

"Not my problem. Suit yourself, I think there is some flowerpot." He snickered, imagining her embarrassed face. "I'm taking the key with me, so don't bother bugging the other kid for help, I have locked his room just in case too." He left the fuming lass behind the door.

"Silver!" rebuked him his partner. She actually saw a half of the scene. How could he suggest such a thing? Even her face went a bit red.

"Come on, Gold!" he replied annoyed. "She is just a pesky kid. We have a job."

The tenrec medium loudly exhaled but didn't continue pursuing this matter. It was true they had a more important thing to do. She followed Silver down the cellar stairs, closing the door behind.

Gold had no idea the little miss pressed her ear on the door, and she heard them leaving. "So he thinks he got me, huh?" She had a devilish smile when she put the tray on the toilet table.

Meanwhile, Sonic was aware of what was happening outside, but he had no interest in intervening. He was sitting on a bed, slightly swinging his legs back and forth. He wished he could run, but maybe he actually didn't want to run. Not even the wind in his quills could lift his mood.

'Why is Amy pushing so much? What if Father Shadow was all the time lying to me? Was he laughing at me?' He just didn't want to believe in that. He hugged his knees, hiding his crying face. What was he supposed to believe in now?

"How long are you gonna sit here?" Amy asked him.

He jumped, scared of her. "How come you are here?" Wasn't her room locked?

She made an impish smile. "I know a few handy tricks." She reached inside of her quills, taking out a small wire. The boy winked a few times, before realizing what it is,

"A lock-pick wire?" He was stunned. What girls had these in their quills? Ah… Amy does… and she knew how to kick to boot. His calf twitched.

A big and wide smile spread across her face. "Yeah, it happens one of my father's employees used to be good lock-picker. He is now fixing all our gears."

Sonic wasn't sure if he wanted to know more details about her family.

She grabbed his arm, dragging him down the bed. "Let's go."

"Where?"

"Isn't it obvious?" Amy looked at him, and he yanked his hand back. "Sonic?"

"I can't go like you," he muttered under his breath and before the miss could react he shouted, "I can't see the same things as you!" He gnawed on his lip.

She was quiet for a bit. "Just because I can see other people souls, doesn't mean I understand them," her voice was calming. "I don't know what this is about, but…" she touched the bracelet. "Suddenly I have been given a huge responsibility."

"Respo-what?" He looked at her confused.

"Res-pon-si-bi-li-ty," she quietly explained. "It means I have now the obligation to look after Eclipse."

"Wait. Wait! Aren't you his master or something? Isn't he supposed to listen to you?" He gestured his bafflement with hands.

"Maybe… But more than that, I wish to be his teacher… someone who can lead him to a better future." Her fingers touched her bracelet, and a small but sad smile appeared on her face. "My father said, with great power comes the double amount of responsibility. Sure, I can be bossy, or I can be a friend he may never have before."

"You mean…" He avoided her gaze. "The mercy thing?"

She nodded. "I wish to show him what I know, it may make him a better person."

"You are weird," he murmured, but she still heard him.

"We all are. That's why this world is full of wonders."

"What should I do?" he asked her after a short while. "I don't know anymore."

"The first step would be to learn the truth behind this, and that's something that silver jerk is trying to keep us out of it. But we have the right to voice our opinion!" She offered him a hand. "Don't tell me you believe Mister Shadow is a bad person."

"No, I just…" his voice died down.

"Let's find the truth together." Sonic, in the end, nodded, following her. "Can you check the whole house, please?" she asked once they exited the room.

He turned into a blue blur, and he returned in ten seconds. "No one is there."

"Hmm, good, that leaves only them here. Mr. Shadow and the others must be kept in the cellar." She approached the door, pressing the doorknob and to her delight, it wasn't locked. Sonic gulped, feeling the tension, but he followed her.

To no one's knowledge, Crestia was awake since the late morning, lying in trapping circle just like her brother a few meters away. But this time they weren't chained. However, it made little to no difference, as the circles were making sure their energy levels would stay low.

Crestia's body tensed when she heard silent steps. How could she forget that man's torture? She wanted nothing more than to gut him. Return him the favor. But no one opened the door, and the steps were getting farther. She let out a breath. She was scared… not for herself, but for her brother.

"Eclipse," she silently called him, getting on her knees, sitting down.

He was lying on his side, showing her the back with folded wings. There was no reaction.

"Hey, Eclipse, wake up!" She called him a bit louder, though still whispering.

"I'm awake," he replied, but still didn't turn around.

"Good," she breathed out. "What gives? Why did you return, pipsqueak? Were you out of your mind?" she started to bark, clenching her fists.

Eclipse's body shivered for a moment. "Out of my mind?" he repeated her words while slowly sitting up. "Right back at you!" He turned toward her. "Why did you save me? You always hated me! You picked on me and made fun of me every single time!" He cried. "So why didn't you use me as a decoy and saved yourself?"

Crestia watched him before breaking into a giggle. "You are…" Her body was shaking.

"Why do you keep laughing at me?" he barked, not caring he might be heard by others.

"You are still the same since the day I and Sirius found you," she sighed. "Looking so small, weak and adorable."

"I'm not weak! Neither adorable!" Eclipse felt insulted and his scales bristled.

"I really wonder why?" her expression softened. "What have you awakened in me? What part of myself I haven't known about?"

The small demon made a wary expression. This was the first time he saw her looking different. Usually, she was alert as a large number of demons targeted her for proving their strength or for taking revenge for past defeats.

"What's up with that face?" She chuckled a bit. "I can be honest for once, can't I?" She scratched her cheek. "Do you remember it? Our first meeting?"

He nodded, not sure what she was trying to suggest.

"With Sirius, I have been patrolling the abandoned part of the Hell. Most of it collapsed from some explosion or what it was. I thought it will be boring, but then we heard you crying.

That sure surprised us. We only expected to take notes of how damaged everything was. I have never dreamed of finding hatchling there. You were sitting on some rubble, but once you saw us…" She made a gentle smile. "You brighten up, ran to us and hugged us. You looked so small and adorable."

"You don't need to repeat that," Eclipse growled. He had grown up a lot since then. Well, he was still an inch or so smaller than most of the demons, but he would get taller in the next years!

"I still don't get it, how could an unhatched egg elude Sirius. He is recording-freak, he knows where everything is from demons in Hell to the last ball of dust in the corner." She chuckled.

"Yeah, bro Sirius is punctual."

Eclipse's eyes narrowed, as he was feeling nostalgic. He had big respect for his brother. He was so clever, and he never yelled at him for asking some stupid question. All of them were answered with patience. But he was as well kind of scared of him. After all, he always looked so strict and emotionless.

"We took you back, and we soon saw you were different from others. Well, you were smaller and adorable-" She made a smug face giggling under her breath.

"Stop repeating that!" he barked, digging his claws into the stone, but they didn't leave any mark since the floor was protected by the inscription.

"But what most… you were kindhearted," she almost whispered that word. "It was so weird to see you behave like that. Everyone thought you were just that naive or stupid. Whenever something bad happened to you, you came to me crying."

A silent hiss escaped her lips. "All it took to make you smile again was just a simple pat, but…" She gritted her teeth. "I had to do something. To toughen you up so you would survive. I had to be strict with you, hitting you and humiliating you." She tightened a fist in front of her chest.

"For some time I thought my affection towards you will be short-lived. That you were just an interesting new thing, but no… it just kept deepening and deepening." She dug the claws into her chest. "It almost drove me to insanity. I tried to put some distance between us. I avoided you, but then… when it looked like I could control it. You just had to go and say it!" Her face was tense, but then it softened. "You said… I can fly higher than everyone else even without the wings!"

That memory hit Eclipse pretty hard. Till now he forgot about it. He was a kid, maybe a half-year-old. There were older demons around him, picking on him but what more, they were making fun of Crestia. Calling her wingless-freak, ground crawler, or even cockroach. It made him so angry, he had even beaten two of them. However, they still had superiority in number, so he ended up badly hurt.

"Yeah, I was pretty loud, wasn't I?" He felt red in the face. After it, he was embarrassed to see his sis in his sorry state, but he was also a bit proud of himself standing up to them.


	42. Shadows of The Past (6-9)

"More than that," she answered, smiling. Eclipse wanted to say something when she interrupted him, "That black priest you warned me about, was it that black hedgehog?"

Her brother shivered, nodding. Her eyebrows knitted, muttering, "That's weird, he wasn't smelling funny… well, it was a funny smell, but not funny like in funny-funny smell."

His eyes narrowed, this was so confusing. She scratched her cheek, talking in a louder tone, "In any case, if he was an enemy, why did he come looking for me?"

Eclipse lowered his head. "I… accidentally babbled I have a sister," he mumbled under his breath, avoiding her stare. "I was… captured in a circle…"

"Go on," she encouraged him. If that guy went after her like any other priest, she would smash him and called it a day. He, after all, ripped his baby bro's wing. Why he acted so docile? And why did that wing grow back? Was it supposed to do it? Her brain felt like melting. The complex thinking wasn't her forte.

"Well, he said… kind of… not clearly…" he had a hard time to put it into the words, "that if I fulfill his wish, he will let me go."

"What did he ask for?" Fulfilling wishes was a lie. At least she had no power to do so unless it involved trashing someone. Well, getting gold was also possible, but why to do it? When can you just pulverize that idiotic person? Or was it…?

He bit his lip before whispering, "My name."

Crestia silently growled, just like she feared. Getting the demon's name was a serious problem. 'So that's why Eclipse has that collar…'

That silver exorcist knocked her cold before the last transport. She could swear, she was getting the major headache from all that hits into the temple. "So he chained you…"

He fidgeted a bit. "No, I refused to answer." A shiver took control of his small body. He hugged himself, curling up a bit. "He… almost killed me…"

Crestia snarled showing gritted teeth. "Then how… Who?" She was puzzled. It was hectic before she was knocked out. All she could remember were some kids screaming and making chaos. She noticed a small smile on his brother's face, just a second ago, he was shivering.

"It's that pink girl… She knew my name."

"Knew?" she loudly barked unable to control her voice. She covered her mouth, but more for assuming thinking position than to silence herself. 'Knew? She knew?' Her thoughts went wild. No living person was supposed to know any demon's name! She slowly gnawed her thumb. "Continue," the demoness asked him.

"She was… really kind to me." He touched his bandaged legs. "It was her who took care of me… who saved my life. I owe her a lot." The small demon tried to visualize the warm feeling the girl was giving him.

Crestia started to do the one thing she never knew she would ever do; analyzing. This was a serious situation, but there was a way out for her brother. One aspect that could spare him. She chuckled a bit. "It may be better this way."

"What?" He lifted his head as she mumbled it, but she didn't answer. "Hey," he started, "why were you telling me about those old memories?"

She was never the type to reminiscent of the past. His sis always cared more for the present and having concerns about the future was foreign to her as well.

Instead of an answer, she stretched herself like a cat. Eclipse noticed the scars. Too many of them were new ones. His body burned with anger.

"I don't think I'll make it," she replied with another big yawn.

"What?" shouted her brother. "No way! That can't be! You can just bust this circle! You can do anything!"

She inhaled, letting her demonic energy flow around her, once it reached a certain limit, it was sucked by the inscription. Her loud exhale filled the room, and panting was heard for a bit.

"I don't think so." She scratched the surface of the ground, but this attempt was met with failure too. "This circle is well done. My energy was constantly drained for days now."

She stopped him with a hand gesture. "Don't bother using your physical strength." To prove her point, she hit the barrier with her fist. Sparks flee away, and a smell of burned meat hit both their noses. Her arm was for a short while rendered useless and was throbbing with pain. "Not even I have enough strength to break it."

"But… but…"

"Listen!" her voice interrupted him. "Even if I hate it, you are bound to someone, right?" She pointed at his neck. "That gives you a higher chance of surviving."

"Then you can-" he babbled. He didn't want to lose his big sis.

"No! I'm not gonna get chained. I would rather choose death."

She clenched her fist. Begging or pleading, neither was her style. The matter of life and death if she was unable to win, then it just meant that was the end of her road. Though she hated the fact, she wouldn't die in a heated battle, she still met a strong opponent. She lost fair and square because she underestimated that exorcist and failed to notice his partner.

Her baby bro was gnawing his lower lip, holding the tears. "That's not fair…" he murmured, clenching fists.

"It's okay. If your captor is that small girl, she will definitely give you a chance to get free. Just play it safe and wait. That's one thing you were kinda good. I always had a short temper."

"You can't be serious." His tears spurted down his cheeks, dripping on the cold floor.

"Stop making that pitiful face. You aren't a kid anymore." Though she said that, it was visible he had grown up a lot, and she was sure, he would become strong.

'I can't let sis die!' he thought angry at himself. If he wouldn't black out when she threw him away. If he didn't run that night! If he convinced her faster! They both would be still free. 'Even… Even if she refuses… I'll beg and plea… I'll do anything to keep her alive!'

Crestia's eyes flashed toward the closed door, she too late noticed closing steps. The barriers weren't at least blocking the smells, she recognized the silver exorcist and his partner. She muffled her growl with biting her cheek from inside and held her breath, but both figures went past their prison. They were safe, at least for now.

Silver's ear twitched as he noticed both demons were awake, feeling their presence and hearing a silent growl. He didn't care.

'I will kill the bigger one later. It's too strong to keep it alive. The small one will help the girl to gain experience, then we can dispose of him as well.'

They entered Shadow's room. From the looks of it, he hadn't tried to escape.

"Oh, how strange, no attempt to break free?" Silver ridiculed him, before frowning and saying in cold tone, "What is your answer?"

Gold stood nearby him, just a step behind her partner. When they were moving here, Amy never stopped talking about the priest, Sonic, and the demon named Eclipse, and how gentle and kind they were. She admitted Eclipse was scary, but not anymore.

She was as well complaining how barbaric Silver was to hurt Mister Shadow that way. Overall, she criticized his every action. All of the complains were driving the psychic crazy, until he softly knocked her out, gaining a big frown from Gold.

Seeing now the priest, they were pursuing the last days in such a sorry state, made her wonder if their approach was correct. Then again, this same man almost killed her partner and was without a doubt a demon. The silver exorcist was convinced this fake priest was scheming something while hiding his true form.

Shadow shook his head. "I really told you all that I know. I had both items with me when I woke up. I don't know how I got them," he repeated his previous answer.

The exorcist hissed with disdain. "I expected you to say that." A whip appeared in his hand and Shadow tucked away his head between his shoulders, closing his eyes, anticipating the hit to land. His body was shivering. How long could he withstand this torture? How could he convince him, he was telling the truth?

Silver lifted his hand. The materialized energy chirped. "You are pretty stubborn. Let's see if I can convince you to cooperate," growled the silver agent, ready to continue his interrogation.

The priest ground his teeth and tightened his fists. The voice in his head returned. It was murmuring in a low voice. He didn't recognize the words, but the sentences started to fill him. The urge to maim was rising.

" _Wait!"_

Silver stopped, letting his hand down, looking at his partner confused. _"What?"_ Why did she stop him? It couldn't be because she was feeling sorry for this monster, right?

" _I think he is telling the truth."_

"No way!" he shouted, forgetting he was using telepathy a second ago. He was surprised by his own rigorousness. The psychic quickly calmed down and resumed the conversation using the mind link. _"He is just making it up."_

As was the agent talking with his partner, he failed to notice the priest was looking at them shocked. When the slash didn't land, he dared to slightly open his eyes and when the silver hedgehog shouted, it startled him. And now it seemed a wordless conversation was unfolding between them.

" _No,"_ she disagreed. _"I feel pressure in his mind. Something may be blocking his memories."_

" _Like amnesia?"_ He lifted his eyebrow, not buying it.

" _It may be so, or he himself pushed these memories back."_

" _To protect his disgusting form, no less."_ He snorted glancing at the priest who winced under his eyes.

" _I can try to unlock them,"_ she offered. After all, reading other's minds was her best ability.

" _No! Who knows what would happen to you!"_ he shouted angrily, again severing the link. Shadow's ears drooped down, and a strong sense of coldness rushed through his whole body. He started to shiver, and the voice got louder. Screaming at him to kill them, rip them to pieces, and bath in the fresh blood spurting from their veins.

'Go away!' he shouted back. His heart skipped a beat as he felt a sharp tip on his throat and, he stretched his body as much as he could, but the tip was still there. Gently but menacingly touching the neck. The priest's eyes fell on the new psionic weapon that resembled a long spear.

Gold was now frowning. _"That's the only way how to learn the truth."_

Silver lifted the spear a bit, pressing the tip on the ebony skin. _"I would rather slay him than endanger you!"_

She slightly shook her head. _"I appreciate your consideration, but think about it. He entered your trap, seeking the demoness to help her. He could transform, yet he didn't do so. He has shown a great concern for Sonic, Amy, and even for the demons. I insist on my decision to look into his mind. There is more to him than meets the eye."_ Her sight fell on Shadow, who was now bending his head back in a futile attempt to get away from the blade.

" _You always said you hate unsolved questions. There is one right in front of us. What's more, he may hold the key to one of the greatest unsolved cases. And what if there is a way for a demon to turn… less demonic at least. A way for them to gain compassion and more kind heart. Isn't it worth of the shot?"_

Silver couldn't believe his own mind. His partner was taking demon's side! But the remark about solving that case was valid for him. He pondered over it. Presenting he and Gold uncovered the truth behind it, would provide a huge boost to their reputation. Not to mention it could present some other clues. He slightly hissed.

" _Fine,"_ he sighed, putting his weapon down, _"have it your way, but I'll kill him if he tries doing something to you."_

The tenrec medium smiled. _"Thank you."_

The ebony priest could finally breathe, but there was still the voice. He clenched his fists so hard, the nails pierced his own flesh, and the blood dripped down. The voice didn't die down as he hoped, and now the woman was getting closer! For a moment, he had thought he had heard a new crack forming on the small cross around his neck.

The tenrec stopped in front of him, squatting and moving her fingers towards his face. Shadow's heart was beating like crazy, almost breaking the ribs from inside. The rushing blood throbbed in his ears to an almost deafening level. He closed his eyes, pushed his body against the cross, turning his head away. Her fingers gently took his cheeks.

" _Please, don't worry, I don't want to hurt you."_

The priest widened his eyes. Where did the voice was coming from? With a twitching movement, he turned his head towards her. All he saw was a smile and eyes emitting warmth despite them having a cold color. They were diametrically different from the ones the other agent had. He was astonished by her kindness. But what more, that voice was gone.

" _Please, try to relax. I'm talking directly in your mind. You have blocked memories, I will try to free them. Nod, if you understand me."_

Her voice had such a nice sound. It was pleasant, and Shadow felt no danger or ulterior motive. He was unsure, what she was talking about. However, compared to the exorcist, she was like an angel. He absentmindedly nodded.

" _Thank you, I'll try to be gentle."_ She closed her eyes momentary, and as she opened them, they were glowing like the interrupted circle on her forehead.

The ebony priest felt strange energy to flow through her fingertips into his body. He winced a few times, as it was making him uncomfortable. But after a while, he let it fill him, feeling somehow sleepy. His eyes slowly closed. This state took a few minutes, before the tenrec jerked with her body, hurriedly stepping back.

"Gold!" He caught her, aiming the spear at the demon.

"No, it's alright!" She stopped him, standing up. "I merely finished untwining the threads leading to his memories." She pressed her temple, having a vague feeling there was something deeper hidden inside of this man. But for now, her task was over.

Shadow lifted his head. His stare was dazed like he was watching something far away nobody but him could see. "I… I… am a monster…" The streams of tears escaped his eyes.

"I know that already," mumbled the exorcist and earned a small elbow nudge from Gold who had spoken,

"Please, tell me, what do you see in front of you?"

Her partner rubbed that place, it wasn't hurting or anything, but he felt like a small kid. He concentrated on the priest. With a closer inspection, it was obvious he was in a strange state, where he wasn't perceiving his surroundings but was rather engulfed in his memories. 'Maybe this will work,' he admitted in his heart.

"I'm in a cave… my body hurts…" he started to talk.

Unbeknownst to them, there were two new listeners hiding in the corridor.


	43. Shadows of The Past (7-9)

Shadow was slowly waking up, feeling his body turned sluggish and hurt all over. A silent moan escaped from his throat, and after a while he forced his eyes to open, carefully scanning the space around. He was in a cave, a nicely decorated cave. It had pillows, chair, table, some plush toys, and even curtains. Where was he? He slowly stood up, a blanket slid down. He noticed his body was bandaged.

'Who could do that?' He touched the white cloth, and just to be sure, he checked his body. He still had horns, the third eye, wings, long tail, fangs, and claws, so who would in their right mind help him? He was obviously a demon. Well, he didn't mind being alive.

He sniffed. 'Someone is coming!' He crouched behind the partly overhanging screen, watching the one in front of him that functioned as a front door. The silhouette on the other side got closer, sliding the fabric. It was a young girl, maybe a fresh teenager. Her fur was blonde, her eyes were shining and had the purest blue he had ever seen. It was a hedgehog with a simple coronet on her quills, and she wore a blue dress. In her hands, she had a basket full of fruits.

"Ah, you have awakened!" she called him with a big smile. "Are you still hurt? I have brought you some fruit and vegetable. It will help you to get better soon." Her voice was crystal clear. He couldn't help it but lift his head higher in a curious manner. "My name is Maria, who are you?" she kept smiling.

That question crushed his mood. Was she trying to deceive him with that innocent smile? "I have no name for you," he replied annoyed. He slowly walked from his spot, knowing she had hardly any fighting strength.

"Is that so?" she said almost sad, walking to a small table putting the fruit basket there. "Then I'll call you Shadow." She smiled so brightly. "That way you will finally have a name."

His jaw dropped. 'W-W-Wait… Is she for real? Did she misinterpreted my reply as not having a name at all?' He wasn't sure if he was supposed to be angry or not. He watched her, as she was picking a red and yellow ovalish fruit.

"Want an apple?" She offered him it.

He looked at it and then at her, dumbfounded. She pulled her hand back, returning the piece inside and taking out a new one.

"What about a pear? Is it no good too? Or what about a plum?" Before he could even glimpse the shape of that pear, she returned it offering him a small oval and dark blue fruit.

When his reaction was neutral even on this one, she just kept showing him one piece after another. Each looked more bizarre and different than the previous one, and he hardly caught any of the names, she was throwing at him. When he was about to bark at her to stop, her face shone and with both hands, she thrust a round orange piece into his muzzle, hitting his nose and pushing it backward.

"The orange!" She shouted so happily like it was a huge treasure. "I love them so~ much, but they are so~ hard to get," her voice turned gloomy, and she lowered her hands. "We can have them only for a few weeks per year." She sighed.

The demon, she named Shadow, had enough of her making a fool of him. He jumped at her, pinning her to the wall. The round fruit had fallen on the ground.

She yelped. He came closer over her, watching right into her blue eyes. 'She has a pure soul. I can't believe she avoided demons for so long.' He glanced at her chest, smirking a bit. 'She is still a half child.' In other words, she was at her best quality. 'So it must have been you, who took care of me. I shall repay you by killing you painlessly.'

Her face was turning red, and her heartbeat got a lot faster. 'Too bad, you noticed too late.' She suddenly yanked her body, pushing him away with both hands. He widened his eyes, her physical strength was greater than he anticipated. The demon ended on the pile of pillows, he was sleeping till now. She quickly stepped away from the wall, heavily breathing and completely red till the neck.

'Dang, she was hiding her true form,' he got ready to attack when she started to make no sense.

"You… You can't jump at a girl like that!" The movements of her hands were hectic. "I don't mind being friends! But… but… going so fast?"

His jaw dropped. 'What was she thinking? I clearly attacked her, how could she interpret it differently? Is she so gullible?' He was lost. The hedgehog demon knew mortals tended to behave irrationally, but this was over the top. She took the cake! He was watching her shaking her body from one side to another, mumbling some words. He couldn't help to scratch his muzzle.

His ears perked as he caught a sound of closing steps. "Maria!" called a new voice that belonged to an older man.

"Grandpa!" she shouted while she tried to do something with her blushing. She turned toward the basket standing on the table, grabbing some shiny piece, smashing it over her face. She didn't stop to shock him.

The curtain was slid to the side, and an orangish hedgehog appeared. "What happened?" he asked, seeing his granddaughter with a dirty face.

While was the girl coming up with an answer, the demon noticed her grandpa was an old man, probably over his jubilee by years, having gray strips of quills. He was wearing a lab coat, and his smell was reeking of various medicines and chemicals. The one thing that differed him from other mortals was big gravity-defying mustache of the same color with a small glasses on his nose.

"I tried to catch a tomato, but I smashed it instead." She made kittenish smile sticking her tongue out a bit. That sure was a believable excuse. The older man simply nodded, glancing at the demon.

'Ah, this one is more clever. He knows who I am, but he isn't a big deal. Just an old man.' He sniffed. 'Yeah, there is a nice deal of frustration and regret in his soul. That will compensate for the tough taste of his meat.' Finally, someone who would have the desired reaction.

"So, he has woken up, huh?" From his pocket he took out a handkerchief, giving it to Maria to wipe her face.

"Yeah, his name is Shadow." She stopped, as she was cleaning her mouth. "Well, I gave him it," her face turned a bit red, "because he doesn't have one."

The man nodded. "The chief was looking for you."

"Ah, the festival!" she gasped. "I have to get prepared for the dance. See you in the evening, Shadow!" She waved at him, running out. But just a step in front of the door-curtain she stopped, turning back. "Don't forget to eat and don't be picky! The fruit is good for you!" She made a big smile before dashing outside.

He bristled, hissing like a cat. He seriously wanted to smack her. She was treating him like a kid!

The man glanced at him, saying in a cold tone, "When you are fine, leave this place."

"Oh, trying to sound threatening?" He grinned, standing up. Shadow finally felt like himself. No more wacky behavior. It was time to scream in terror and letting guts to hit the floor.

"What makes you believe so?" asked the other hedgehog in a surprisingly calm manner.

"Don't pretend. You know who I am," he smirked. He flapped his wings and licked his lips with forked tongue. It was some time since he had some prey and even if this guy had hardly a tender treat, he was still of sufficient quality.

The man was looking at him for some time, before lifting his left eyebrow. "Nope, never saw you in my life. Are you distant relative perhaps?"

That question hit the demon hard, for a moment he went weak in knees. Wasn't this guy supposed to have a brain? Or was he wacko like that blonde girl?

"Maybe you have an identity crisis?"

The last remark made Shadow furious. "I'm a demon!" he screamed spreading his wings, looking menacing.


	44. Shadows of The Past (8-9)

The man sighed, shrugging his shoulders. "And?"

The demon threw his arms in the air. "And? What and? I don't know why, but she obviously nurtured me back to health!" How could this person's reaction be so bland? He was a demon! That's not a small matter one can simply shrug off!

The man averted his eyes for a moment. "Every brain cell is screaming at me to run away. I know what means to encounter a demon; a certain death. Yet we are in this impossible situation." His eyes weren't full of fear more like he was thinking, watching him, evaluating.

"Good, for a moment I thought the mortals forgot." The demon put hands on his hips, rolling his eyes. This conversation was driving him crazy, yet it was interesting. To be honest, he had never met a person to talk with him in such a calm manner. Was it because this man had no fear of death? No, everyone is scared to die especially if an intense pain was involved.

"It's not like I wanted to help you, but my granddaughter did it anyway." He kept watching him with wary eyes, yet the feeling of calmness was still present.

The demon decided to keep talking. Both mortals were interested in their respective ways. "She must be pretty brainless." He couldn't help to roll his eyes again.

The old hedgehog frowned upon hearing that remark. "I warmed her, but she insisted. I still don't know how she convinced me. But I wish for you to appreciate her gesture and leave this place."

"And skip a tasty meal?" The ebony demon licked his lips. Just because he was interested in them, didn't mean he wouldn't devour them in the future. Especially her, she was worthy of his time and stomach.

The orangish hedgehog strongly knitted eyebrows, clenching his fists. There was no doubt he had no combat abilities much less experience. The smell around him told the demon this mortal spent a lot of time in a laboratory or some similar institute. But even such easy prey could show some backbone, making the hunt enjoyable. They stared at each other, deep in their own thoughts.

"Shadow!" Maria shouted, sliding the curtain away.

The ebony demon bristled and hissed, jumping, and latching onto the ceiling. Her grandpa almost got a heart attack, holding his chest and having a need to lean against the wall.

The young girl looked around puzzled. "Did I interrupt something?" In her hands was a bread basket covered with a cloth.

"Why did you return, Maria?" Her grandpa tried to calm his heart and breathing. "I thought you were going to prepare yourself for the festival."

"I was," she jolly said. "But I met our good neighbor, and she gave me four slices of her freshly baked famous pie." She put the cloth away, revealing nice smelling slices filled with apples. "And sharing is caring, right?"

Shadow's eyes were wide as plates. 'That girl…' He gritted his teeth feeling his third eye was twitching. He couldn't decide if that was a clever scheme or just her childish personality.

He watched her, how she put it on the table, covering it again before dashing out. "I have to go now!"

Shadow leaped down, snorting, trying to get that sweet smell out of his nose, but it was filled to the brim in the next second. He had never had an interest in mortal's meals, but this one was tempting him.

Maria's grandpa sighed, having a small smile on his face, but that was gone once he looked at the demon. "As I said, please, leave once you are healed." The old man left the cave, and not even once he had looked back.

Shadow was annoyed, he hardly got a proper reaction from neither of them. And that pie kept bothering him. And what more, saliva formed in his mouth, forcing him to swallow like every five seconds.

"Stupid mortal's stuff," he mumbled, lifting the cloth and the scent hit him the hardest. With his clawed finger, he chipped off a small piece. "How can this have any taste?"

He doubted any meal made by those mortals could taste good. However, he was bored, so he put it in his mouth, and he barely chewed it once when he chewed on the rest. He started to quickly munch it, feeling his mouth filled with indescribable sensation. He gulped and immediately started to masticate two pieces at once. 'What is this? It's so tender!'

The sweetness lifted his grumpy mood. He held his cheeks with hands, feeling how his teeth gnawed on it. When the last morsel landed into his stomach, he made sure to pick all crumbs from the bread basket and licking his fingers for a long time. He realized, he loved that sweet taste, tender and juicy whatever it was.

With eyes, he quickly scanned the cave room, double checking he was alone. If anyone would see him stuffing his face and giggling like an idiot, he would never live up to his old reputation! He once more licked his whole muzzle, wiping the saliva with his backhand.

'Well, I can take it easy and just concentrate on my recovery.' He glanced that round fruit she shoved into his face before.

He lifted the right eyebrow, picking it up. The peel was damaged from the landing, and he could smell something sweet. He licked the leaking juice.

'This tastes good too.' He peeled it, revealing the hidden form. He examined it, finding it strange how it was arranged into crescent-moon-shaped pods, or how he should call it.

He separated one slice, munching it, noticing something hard, but his teeth had no problem in gnawing it. He was able to bite through bones with ease. He licked his lips, putting one piece after another.

'This is even better than the pie!' After he finished his snack, he carefully licked his fingers. 'No wonder she called it the best fruit.'

He yawned, moving back to the pile of pillows, lying down and finding it pleasant to touch. He smiled, stretched his body and curled up before dozing off.

He slept for about an hour or two when his sharp senses picked up sounds of quick steps. He sat up, seeing Maria entering. "How was the pie?" she asked glancing the bread basket was empty.

"Bearable." Shadow had no intention admitting how much he had enjoyed it. Maria smiled, telling him she knew. Her eyes shined when she noticed the orange peeling laying on the ground. He growled a bit. He disliked how the girl was not taking him seriously. Was she really so gullible or plain stupid?

"How do I look?" She stretched her arms showing him her colorful dress. The sleeves were wide, decorated with many sewed flowers that by waist slowly turned into rivers and then into the ground. "It's my costume for the festival."

"Festival?" He asked and had to admit the dress looked good.

"Yes, every year we held the Earth Festival to thank the soil for giving us a good crop." Her eyes shone as she was explaining. "It's a night full of dancing, singing, delicious meals, and funny stories. Everyone is enjoying themselves. At midnight we lit lampions, write our wish on it and send them to the sky. It's always so pretty. It's like the stars have come down to us."

The demon got an idea. "Girl?" he called her. "I understand you saved me. Allow me to express my gratitude for your help by fulfilling your wish."

"My wish?" She tilted her head a bit like she had no idea what he meant. And he wouldn't be surprised if that was the case.

"Yes, I can do that," he assured her.

Shadow was planning to corrupt her. There wasn't a person who didn't have a desire. It was always the quickest way to get them. Maria seemed to be seriously thinking.

"What about a bigger house?" he offered her more ideas. "Or do you need money? Oh wait, you girls like to look pretty, so what about everlasting youth?" The last one had to work. He put the most happy-sounding tone he could muster.

"I don't need any of it," she answered, shrugging her shoulders, rendering him speechless.

"Oh, I see." He scratched his muzzle. "Then tell me, what do you wish for?" He had got curious. Could she wish for falling in love? Well, that made sense.

She made an impish smile. "I can't tell you until I send it to the sky." She slightly stuck out her tongue.

The ebony demon showed teeth, but she only laughed. After that, she sat down next to him, talking with him about various things. To his surprise, he didn't mind her company. When he told her a fairy tale how he had beaten ten miles long sea serpent, saving a beautiful princess, she totally believed every word. It made him amused. He actually got into it so much he even jumped around, gesturing and playing the role of the hero.

The afternoon dashed by them so fast that it felt like a moment, but the orangish sky reminded them the evening was upon them.

"Ah, I have to go," she said sadly. "I have the most important dance during the festival. Will you watch me?" She looked at him with a plea in her eyes.

"Yeah, sure." He wasn't actually thinking of keeping that promise.

She made the brightest smile so far. "See you then." The blonde hedgehog dashed out.

He didn't feel like napping, so he explored the cave. From the things around, he knew this was her secret hideout. There were plush toys and some were pretty old, but still in good condition, old carpet, pillows of various colors and sizes (and he enjoyed lying on them), and even a table with a chair. He walked to it, noticing there was a book. He opened it and started to read.

It was her diary and according to it, she had lost her parents when she was young, moving to live with her grandpa in a big city. Soon it seemed she was seriously ill, so they moved to this village to let her live a more relaxed lifestyle. Her grandfather continued his research, looking for a working medicine.

'If she is ill, why didn't she ask for the medicine? Isn't that her wish?' He read more, learning about her kind personality and a view of the world. He soon noticed, she was always more concerned about people around her than herself. "What a selfless person." Now he understood her, seeing why she was so pure.

He glanced toward the exit, realizing that the night had fallen, but for a demon like him, the absence of light made no difference. His eyesight was perfect.

'Well, I think I could check this festival thing.'

He felt better and some stretching would do good to him. He left the cave that was located beneath a cliff, climbing up the wall instead of using the only path leading to it. He walked for a bit, noticing a strange smell in the air.


End file.
